Oh Faithful Night
by Adelaide205
Summary: He saw him in that moment, captivated by the look of beauty on his face. Jamie had grown; he had matured; and in his maturity, he had begun to desire something that Jacke feared he could never give, never teach. He swallowed and shifted closer. Outside, the wind sang and urged Jack to venture forth. Jamie/Jack
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer—because I know how important they are. I don't own this shit. This story is my personal fancy because I have all of these winter, Christmas feels that I don't know what to do with.

I was inspired by someone else's story that I read last night whilst I was farting around amongst the Jamie/Jack fandom.

Thank you to Electric Plum and your very tasteful story, "Thawing Frost"

For as long as he could remember, he couldn't _remember _anything from his past, just that moment, that one moment in the forest so many decades ago.

If Jack closed his eyes, he could recall a memory of crisp snow and pine trees. He could see the face of the moon as he peered down with sympathy, leaning on his walking stick for support. That heavy burden of weight bounding to him and cleaving to his crooked back. The moon was always hard working, silent and understanding.

Jack had a very good memory, you see, but he just couldn't think of a time before that moment out upon the frozen water in the midst of winter. His body was cold and ridden with frost and bite. His mind was crisp and even.

He had always thought it was because he didn't have a life before, but that couldn't be. He was made of flesh and bone, though it was frozen. He breathed, required food, comfort.

He didn't know his purpose. His task had always been the duty of bringing winter to the world men and women. It was simply his duty: to freeze the ground and make the snow, or at least that's what he thought. He didn't know it was his duty to watch over children, to become a guardian. To become the watcher and safe bringer to all, and any, and especially that one boy who first spoke his name and saw his frozen face.

Jack trotted through the forest, kicking at the snow beneath his toes, occasionally stopping to lean on a tree and stare off, listening to the sounds of the chilling wind as it brushed through the proud trees. It carried the scent of pine. Jack closed his eyes and breathed.

He came every year, around the holidays, right when the laughter and warmth was the strongest. It was the best time for family and songs. He breathed in and lifted off of the ground. He could hear the soft singing of silver bells as people opened doors to the tiny shops and stores, and the reindeer bells, too, joined the chorus from every street corner as each happy, fat Santa wished a merry Christmas. Carols sang bright and loud. It was his time, his element. He rubbed his hands together and slipped off into the dawning darkness, plotting new ways to impress the crowds of children, while also thinking of ways to make the elders gripe. He dashed along and touched his icy fingers upon the windows of cars and faces of houses, casting off extravagant displays of encircling, frosted lines and wisps of feather like pictures across the smooth surfaces.

It was his handy work; and every year, the adults took it for granted except for around Christmas. No snow before, or after, but please bring the whitening, laminating weather for the holidays. And Jack did. He laughed and rolled in the air, filling his lungs with his own biting cold, exhaling a chilly wind across the streets. The snow leapt at his attention and danced for joy, rolling across the blackened tar in erotic displays of dance and design.

The snow mounds rose higher and so did Jack, climbing to the swollen gray clouds that loomed over the city's sky line. He kissed at the shy clouds, willing them to release and pour soft curtains of silken flakes.

He sighed and landed on a lamp post, looking down at the pooling golden light. Casts of golden ambiance reflected in the water of the snow flakes. How they sparkled with a crisp clear wonder. Jack leaned back, dangling a foot off of his perch, content with the growing frost that creaked and cracked along the streets throughout the city.

How glad the children would be when the opened their tiny eyes and rose their little heads up to the widows; oh, to look out on that fresh, even snow. He reveled in that thought and swelled with pride. They knew his name, these children, and thanked him for their frozen wonders.

Off in the distance, illuminating Christmas lights twinkled in frosted darkness. The bells stopped as the people grumbled and receded into their warm cars, or houses; and the world around muffled as the snow blanketed and swallowed up all sounds. Silence.

Just the soft sound of the wind as it whispered a lullaby that Jack knew all too well. The snow gathered in his hair and on his clothes. Jack looked about him, recognizing the street that he had come to, the lamp post that he had landed on. He looked down passed his icy toes and saw the house which his Jamie resided in.

The house was silent, still, at peace and gentle strands of golden sand now began to dash through the snow and encircled the house, breaking through the closed windows and doors and giving the tenets a gift of dreams. Jack's eyes rose to the sky; though he could not see his fellow friend and guardian, he knew he was there, off in the distance, conducting the jubilant sand, and joys of dreams; his golden glow outlined the base of the clouds.

In that moment, the city was incased, closed off. The clouds provided a roof; and the light of Sandy provided a blanketing security. Jack rose from his perch and twisted around with the sand that descended down onto the Bennett house, gliding with it as it carried the dreams to slumbering heads. He closed his eyes and heard it: a soft sound, a whisper, a murmur, carried along the ever-shifting folds of glittering gold.

He heard his name and stopped, straightening as the gentle words called out and sang his name so beautifully.

Dreaming of him? The frozen spirit could hardly believe his ears, so he left it for his eyes and slipped closer to the quiet house.

He could hear the sounds of rustling sheets, soft words. A tiny breath, and quiet gasp. Jack floated closer and pressed his frozen nose to the window of the house, daring to peer inside onto that personal display. He wondered what kind of dream it was that caused that face of Jamie's to scrunch and blush like that. He squinted, wanting to make out the figures in the sand as they danced over Jamie's head. Two people played, prancing along, one with a wooden staff and the other bundled tight in bounds of sweaters and coats. Jack laughed and leaned his elbow on the cill of the window, balancing his chin on his open palm as he watched.

He was glad to see that his dear friend still thought of him, even in his older age. Jamie was molding into a fine young man now, not that much bigger that Jack himself. He often pressed his nose in to see him on nights like these. Occasionally coming in to visit the boy when he was awake. This night, though, Jamie had let the pleasures of slumber grasp him too soon. He watched as the dancing, sandy scene unfolded, curious to see just what it was that held the teenager's sleepy thoughts.

The sand mixed and morphed, twisted and joined. What Jack could assume was a representation of himself grasped the bundled Jamie and lifted him up, holding him close—Jack had done that often when Jamie was smaller. Grab him and toss him in the air, catching him on the gusts of cooling wind. Their joyous faces laughed silently and the little Jamie's coat evaporated into golden dust. He lowered and grasped onto Jack's figurine. They moved and swayed, holding each other close.

Outside, the sand molded around Jack. It caressed him, and he pressed his ear to it. Jamie's voice whispered again. He spoke his name in his dream and sighed contently.

There had been times where Jamie had sang out Jack's name in clear joy, but never did it sound like this, so dreamy. Content, like Jamie had been dying for this opportunity. For a brief moment, Jack's eyes closed as he listed to the simple sounds of Jamie's breath and he heard it. A faint moan, so soft, so sweet. Jack opened his eyes and pressed his face in on that private scene again. The two glittering figures knelt across from each other, lips pressed to one another's. Jack swallowed and pressed his nose against the window pane, frost gathered where frozen breathe escaped his mouth.

This was entirely personal, and Jack should have respected that. When his own little image flew above Jamie's body and pressed him down, Jack turned and looked away from Jamie's display, knowing it to be unfair to see something like that.

His heart was hammering, racing and clattering in his thin chest. He could feel it as it pressed itself up against his bony ribs. He clutched his chest, gripping his fingers into his shirt. He shouldn't have seen something like that. Why had Sandy allowed him to hear that sound of his name on the drifting waves of sand?

His mouth was dry and his stomach felt oddly empty. He slumped against the side of the house and kicked his feet through the air beneath him. Jamie was young, too young to be dreaming of things like that; why would Sandy even concoct such a scene? He was aware that even adults dreamed, and that perhaps their dreams included mature scenes of such a pleasure, but it was all too startling to think that Jamie had grown and desired such things.

It was easy to forget. Jack was stuck in his age. He was three times the age of the oldest man in the world, but he was forever young. It was so easy to forget how one could grow and change when he, himself, stayed the same.

A gripping fear took hold of Jack and he turned, looking into the window again. Jamie tossed gently in his bed and his lips motioned the sounds of pleasure. He was growing up; no longer a young boy, sitting alone in his bed, beseeching his stuffed rabbit to show him the proof of magic and wonder. This obviously meant that Jamie would no longer need him.

His chest suddenly ached with a sickening, clamping grip. He looked away, feeling anxious and eager to dash off through the air, fly away from Jamie's house. He turned and he heard that sweetly warm voice again. "Jack."

It did not take him long to realize that the golden ribbon of sand had evaporated and dissipated off back to Sandy's ultimate will. Jamie was awake and laying in his bed, chest heaving, eyes wide and astonished. His hands lay limply at his sides. The young boy stirred and rolled, turning his head to the window and taking in the sight of Jack floating off in the distance.

Jack looked back to him and their eyes met through the darkness. Jamie looked extinguished, satisfied; he was not embarrassed, and his bright blush seemed to make him glow.


	2. Chapter 2

_From the author to you fabulous reader: _

_Wow; I am simply blown away. Might I just take a moment to sit back and wallow in all of the positive feedback I've been getting in just the last day, or so? Honestly, I am surprised at how well this caught on. I for sure thought that no one would care much for the Jack/Jamie scene, but your reviews have given me inspiration and have humbled me beyond belief. _

_My thanks to you all, especially to those of you who took the time to write such kind things and explain just what it was that you liked. The more feedback I get, the better at pleasing you I'll be, so I do encourage critiques, comments, questions, anything. _

_Some questions have come up and I did want to take the opportunity to shed some light onto them and ask for opinions. _

_Linables brought to my attention the whole M rating factor. I agree that perhaps an M rating is a bit too much for what ended up happening in this little story here. Perhaps I should not fulfill the erotic requirements that I was originally planning; and if you guys would like a delicious love scene between Jack and Jamie, I can simply write a oneshot that is unrelated to this story. _

_I want to hear your guys' opinion, though, before I get all nutty here. What would you rather? _

_I also know I've been getting a lot of requests to keep this going, and I'm hear to tell you to fear not; I do plan on making this into a full fledge story. I'm not sure how long it'll be yet, but I do have a end goal in mind. As we can all see, I'm a fairly long-winded individual, so there should be plenty to keep you occupied. _

Disclaimer: My original statement about not owning this still stands.

Was it that he was frightened? Was he scared of that look, that taunting, beautiful face? It must have been. Jack did not think he feared anything. Surely one who had faced death, plummeted into the frozen depths and came back again would not hold fear of a mere boy and his bed time fantasies.

It seemed that Jamie did not know that Jack had been watching. Perhaps he did not even recall the dream. The boy slipped from his bed and shifted towards the shut window, smile on his exasperated lips. Jack stiffened as the window opened and the heat of Jamie's room emanated out towards him. It was rare that he ever felt heat, or maybe it was just the staining blush of his cheeks that caused him to imagine such an exhausting, sweltering warmth.

Jamie beckoned to him, smiled and welcomed him into that room where he had just been dreaming so pleasantly. He could have been a coward and turned, but something compelled him to face this growing Jamie. He floated forward and disappeared into the Bennet house.

He could smell the sweetened, suffocating scent of baking, sugar, frosting, peppermint; of course such a house would be prepared for the season of food and gifts. Jack's mouth moistened at the thought of treats and sweets, or at least he distracted himself to think so. He huddled in the room, hands promptly tucked away in his front pocket.

Jamie stood near him, looking him up and down with some mischievous grin. "I'm almost as tall as you now," he said as he leaned closer. Jack looked at him in return; it was indeed true and Jack only sunk further into his self proclaimed worries and miseries, but alas, he was quick on his feet and a natural at concealing emotions. He was a trickster, and as such, was a master in the ways of lies and playful deceit.

"I see that; pretty soon, I wont be able to come and visit you. You'll be all grown and old, and wont need me anymore," he said nonchalantly, a saddened smile tugged at his lips that went unnoticed by Jamie.

The boy was distraught by Jack's words, wrapped in their frightening truth. He stood still and his lip trembled just the slightest; Jack could see this. The soft glow of Jamie's nightlight helped to illuminate those glistening peddles of pink. Something else glistened on Jamie's face; it caught in his eye and danced for a second, then disappeared. A brief swell of tears. Jack's heart turned to a cold froth within his tight chest.

"I will always believe in you. Even when I'm old and dying in my bed," Jamie said rather stubbornly. His lip pouted and Jack couldn't help but feel a twisting, sickened sense of comfort in that simple display of childish behavior. Jamie.

He stepped onto the wooden floor which barely let out a whisper or creak against the feather-light weight of him and placed his hand on Jamie's shoulder. He felt that words would be a waste and simply offered a smile, small and reassuring.

After spending so much time in the frostbitten dark without a single whisper of his name, or kindness to his thought, he couldn't help but feel a nagging fear that he would loose it all. He believed Jamie and knew his words to be simple truth, innocent, or not. At least he could take comfort in that, wrap his mind in a security of Jamie's belief.

Jamie knew Jack's unspoken apology and laughed, touching his hand against the spirit's frozen one. Jack reclined at that touch; warm and light; alive. _Very _alive. He was suddenly aware of all of these things and shrank back, seeking sanctuary from his frosted pockets again. "Been busy?" he asked quickly, wanting to divert any awkward attention from his strange actions.

Jamie seemed to take no notice and simply rolled his head on his shoulders, thinking of what to say and where to start. Jamie was always cautious whenever he spoke; he always chose his words carefully and Jack had grown to love hearing him speak, no matter what it was. From his simple daily activities, down to his deepest fears and secrets. Jack loved anything that came from the boy's sweet lips. He hovered in the air for a moment and perched on a desk chair, full attention and widened eyes.

"School, homework, Christmas break, so all of the afore mentioned items are the farthest thing from my mind; you know," Jamie said as he counted on his fingers, listing all the things that mounded up into his life. He winked, and a fluttery laugh bubbled out from his crooked lips. Jack could feel himself staring dreamily at those lips and straightened, shaking his head and nodding in agreement. Jamie looked him up and down again, mulling over his thoughts. "Hear to bring the Christmas, winter holiday cheer?"

For a moment, Jack faltered; he had almost drifted off and lost grip on their conversation. Those eyes of Jamie's were very alluring in the soft glow of the room; and the brushes of pale light from the window only helped to captivate his enchanting beauty. His face seemed to glow and glitter softly. Every pour, every dimple, every freckle, Jack could see it all and he was impressed, stricken. He looked like a porcelain doll, perfectly painted with wide chocolate eyes, and rosy red cheeks.

Jamie did not seem to mind Jack's attention and simply waited patiently, tucking a stray strand of hair behind his ear. His lips twisted into a lopsided grin and he raised his eyebrows. Those jeweled, brown eyes spoke worlds to Jack, and it was the look of them that made him realize that he needed to speak.

He sapped to attention and replied. "I think I did a good job of it too," he said. He turned away from the other's face; his eyes screamed to be ripped from such a beautiful sight, and he turned to look outside. Giving a cheeky grin at the frost that crept along the wooden sidings of the window.

"Oh, Jack; it's beautiful." At these words, Jamie fell forward and pressed his hot cheek against the cool surface of Jack's handy work. He looked out at the curtain of cotton balls as they danced along their long path from the heavens down to the solid ground.

"You really think so?" Jack said as he slid from his perch. He tip toed closer to Jamie and stood at his side.

"I really do." There was a pause and the two boys stood in the pooling white rays of the moon, marveling in the wondrous scene that sparkled and shimmered before them. It felt natural, peaceful and Jack had this uncontrollable urge to reach out and grasp onto Jamie's hand, pull him close and hold him tight. He focused on the sound of their heart beats and used the sound of Jamie's breathing to calm him. Jamie was so warm and he wanted to experience that again. He let his hands fall from his pockets. His fingers twitched in the warmth of the room and he curled them towards Jamie's soft hand. The young teen's voice shattered the quiet peace and caused Jack to jolt.

"Come on! Lets go! We'll be the first to leave our footprints, and by the time morning comes 'round, no one would know because all signs would be filled with the freshly fallen snow. It'll be like our little secret."

"Secret," Jack repeated as he floated off of the ground, wanting to be as far away from it as possible.

Jamie turned and dashed around the room, pulling out socks and gloves, sweaters and hats. He strung them about his body in their respected places in a hurry and grabbed his old ice skates from behind his door and slung them over his shoulder. Jack was unable to comprehend what it was that was happening until Jamie was already lifting his leg over the window cill and jumping down from his second story window. Jack floated out, being sure to close the window behind him. He lowered to face Jamie and gave him a wicked glare.

Jamie shrugged; "I'm 16. I sneak out all the time. It's become a hobby I think."

Right; Jack had almost forgotten that it had become some sort of right of passage to sneak out of the house late in the night, to go off galavanting around town with girls. That thought struck Jack oddly and he floated along Jamie silently for a while. "Sneak out to meet girlfriends?" he asked, hoping he was being tactful.

Jamie laughed, choked, really and wiped his reddened nose with a mechanically stitched glove. The snow already gathered about the ground in powdery heights and it crunched beneath Jamie's booted feet. "Not quite. I don't really need to sneak out to be with my friends; I like to sneak out to enjoy the evenings," he said simply, avoiding the question of girls with ignorance, or clever smoothness; Jack was unsure of which. "It's quiet at night and that's what I like."

"So no girlfriends that've got you sneaking off to court and sweetly banter with?"

Again, Jamie laughed and his cheeks flashed a bright candied red. "No. Why so interested in my nonexistent love life?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow and a suave expression.

"As your guardian, I find that I have a right to nose in on these things," Jack answered coolly. It was true; maybe.

It was obvious that the other could respect his answer and Jack found it appropriate to change the subject and distract the teen with stories of his winter bringing adventures. As he usually did when he came to visit, he told Jamie about the interesting places he had been, bringing cold and ice around with him wherever he went, gliding on the wind and traveling to distant lands. He told him about the capped mountain tops in the south, the small little villages tucked away in the east. He talked and talked; and as always, Jamie listened, occasionally adding in bits of his own: things he had learn from school, or things others had told him.

Just as natural as the snow around them, Jack and Jamie's conversation drifted and flowed with a wonderful airy ease. Jamie gladly followed Jack who lazily floated through the air, avoiding lamp posts and trees as he went along, laying on his back and crossing his arms behind his head. Though there were a few times that Jack found himself distracted by something in Jamie's eye and he would crash into something, bonking his head and brushing it off as soon as it would happen.

The two boys eventually came to a pond, the very pond that Jack had said his first goodbye to Jamie so many years ago. The boy huffed and flopped onto the ground, pulling off his shoe and placing it under some brush where the snow would leave it untouched.

Jack stepped down onto the frozen water and sloshed the loose snow, rubbing his hands together. The frosted spirit knelt and whispered to the snow. With lips that were puckered ever so mischievously, Jack let out a small stream of air. The snow scattered and dashed away, spreading out like the scene inside of snow-globe after a few rough shakes. The snow circled around the air and remained still, stuck in place in mid air, leaving the lake's surface clean and bare.

For good measure, Jack rolled on and touched the tip of a single finger to the ice to ensure its safety. He crossed his legs and looked to Jamie, smirking from the proud work he had just done.

Jamie laughed; "Show off," he said as he stepped out onto the ice with freshly sharpened skates.

Through the air, one could hear the gentle rocking and swaying of tall trees as the wind danced along, but in the incasing snowy globe that Jake had created, all was still. Nothing move, nothing spoke, only the sound of ice and blade as Jamie kicked off and trotted around in lazy figure 8 about the pond. He smiled as he circled around Jack who spun in the air to greedily keep him in sight.

There was an unspoken bond between the two boys; their bond could have been one between a guardian and his pledge, or something else—something that could only be understood by the age and experience of life. Jack was unsure, but something drove him to want to know the answer.

Jamie twisted and turned in flawless movements, skating backwards, then twisting forward and doing little spins. He was not a professional skater, no, but his movements held Jack's attention and enchanted him. Jamie had become a little frozen dancer. The pond: his stage, and the moon: his audience. Jack rolled forward, skating on his toes with the ease and grace of a swan.

Fore a while, the two skated along side one another and Jamie's skill sharpened; he grew playful and taunted Jack, trying to outdo him at any chance he could get. They reached for each other and grasped each other's hands, coming together. Neither was flustered or worried, they simply did what came natural. Jamie held tightly onto Jack's cold-abused hands and Jack took the ample opportunity to show off; of course he was a natural in the art of fluid movement out on the open ice. He needn't even touch his toes to the cold surface beneath, but he wanted to have that sense of reality. That aching, familiar cold at the soles of his feet.

He traveled along seamlessly; the couple darted along in harmonious joy. That flash of red touched upon Jamie's cheeks once more. Jack could feel his heart burst, freeze over and quiet in a dying peace. He smiled and Jamie spoke.

"You know, I had a dream about this, I think. I don't remember all of it, but I remember you. I think we were skating like this, or playing in the snow. Something like that," he said lightly.

Jack raised an eyebrow, not wanting to let on that he knew something. "Oh?"

"It was nice, but I hate how a dream can be so easily forgotten." They swayed and moved together. Occasionally, Jack would push Jamie off and spin him in a tender way; This of course, was only for the sake of appearances, and the great joy of seeing him full in the brightness that followed them as their own private spotlight.

He took in the sight of Jamie and crowded near, gliding to him and holding him close. It did not seem strange to Jamie that Jack should hover so near. He was strangely calm in Jack's arms; and he felt prefect against his cold body. So natural, all of it: their movements, the way the fit together, down to that very last stitch upon Jamie's warming wool coat. Even in his flaws, when he stumbled brief on his skates, he was prefect.

Jamie smiled and leaned his chin on Jack's shoulder, letting out a little sigh of contempt. "We were just like this," he whispered.

The night drifted on; and outside of their silent bubble of protecting snow, the wind picked up and whispered. The frosted tips of trees swayed in joyous mimicry of the two boys' movement. The wind lapped at the snowy barrier and tussled the still snow; it swirled and weaved, swerving between them.

"Just like this?" Jack asked as his snowy world came falling down. Puffy cotton balls danced along through their hair and gathered along their shoulders and forearms. He motioned for Jamie to look down and when he did he laughed.

They were floating, suspended in the air with the snow gently passing them on its way hardened water. Jamie laughed for joy, his bright teeth shown and glimmered just beyond his pink lips. Jack noted the rosy color of his nose and couldn't help what came next.

He closed his eyes and pressed his lips to Jamie's nose, kissing him and making it glow brighter with the frosted cold of his touch. He pulled away, finding joy in the feel of his skin against his lips. He flashed a cheeky grin and reveled in the simple sight of Jamie's bliss.

Jamie's eyes glittered and glistened with all the wonder of the world; just as they had done all those years ago when he first took in the sight of Jack.

Upon Jamie's lips came a song and he laced his fingers with Jack's as they swayed to the pace he set with his soft, young voice. It needed to be said; after such a kiss. He sang of chestnuts roasting, and Jack hummed along to the familiar tune.

If they listened carefully, they could have heard the lazy rhythm that the brass instruments dictated being carried on the gentle, pesky wind, but they were hardly in the mood for paying any attention to what was around them. They were lost, intoxicated by the look of each other. Jack's hand slipped lower on Jamie's waist, and the young teen responded by boldly leaning forward and pressing his lips to Jack's.

So soft. So sweet.


	3. Chapter 3

_From the author to you fabulous reader,_

_I just wanted to thank you all for your continued support and kind words. What keeps me going is the positive feed back. I apologize if this seems like it's been going on and on; I'm doing it on purpose, not to be annoying and overly lengthy. There is a method to my madness that you will soon see in the next chapters. _

_I'm a bit nervous about this chapter. I wanted to take away a little from the description and follow the flow of conversation between our young lover boys, um; I'm not sure what happened. I personally found this chapter hard and annoying to write. Let me know your thoughts and what I may do to improve if there needs to be improvement. _

_Also, if may, fabulous readers, what do you think of a story that switches POVs? I'm strongly considering making the next few chapters in Jamie's POV view, but I fear that is sort of cliche within the realm of fanfiction. Are there any who appose, and would totally be mad if I did that? Drop me a message, review, or whatever to let me know. _

**-Insert pesky, annoying disclaimer here-**

None of this should have been happening; he should have died those many years ago. He should have drifted off in the cold darkness, trapped at the bottom of that lake, stuck beneath the window of frozen glass. If he didn't need to die that night, then he should have grown old, died and withered away like the other poor peasants of his time. Old, broken, sick, twisted from years of work and abuse. He didn't deserve this, to experience this after his death, in his eternal life.

Fate had a funny way in playing into life and meddling around with peoples' affairs; somehow he had found himself outlasting any family he might have had, only to come to this one moment, so far into his outlived future, this moment where he tasted his first kiss for the first time. He was so shocked that words could not even compile to describe his feelings, his breath, his thoughts. He simply closed his eyes and accepted Jamie's lips.

Jamie; oh how eager he was! How many lips had he kissed before? Was this his first as well? Jamie's hot mouth incased Jack's lips and his tongue peeked out to lick at Jack's. He was so new at this despite his age; he felt clumsy while meshed up agains Jamie like that. His own mouth moved sluggishly against Jamie's hot and demanding kiss. His mouth was simply frozen, it wouldn't move the way that he wanted it too. Never did he think that kissing would be something so frustratingly hard. Jack eventually learned to open his mouth and shrank back as the heat enveloped it. His heart leapt to his throat and he let out a sigh of shock and Jamie smirked, he actually smiled; Jack could feel it spread and mould against his own lips.

With a soft breath and pop of their lips, Jamie pulled away. Just as Jack was growing used to their rhythm. He was sad to feel that absence of heat. Jack's mouth suddenly felt empty, but he closed his lips and leaned back, carrying their bodies back down to the ground beneath. They landed and Jack was suddenly aware that both of his hands and slipped to Jamie's waist and he extracted them.

"I've wanted to do that for so long," Jamie said as he brought his hand to his lips to hide his boyish smile. "I'm sorry. I probably made things awkward, didn't I?" he said as he pulled his hand away. There was something hidden in the base of his iris, fear? Jamie acted on impulse and was probably now so frightened that Jack would reject him. He was shocked to think so, but he made no move to show disgust.

Rather than focusing on any awkward attention, or flustered feelings that danced frantically around in his mind, Jack simply smiled slyly, wanting to relieve any uncomfortableness. "First to see me, first to make a move on me, you're just adding up to be my first everything aren't you?" Jack said as he laughed and shuffled his foot through the snow.

At this, Jamie flushed a pink and white color and he coved his mouth again, chuckling into his hand. His eyes let on to something that puzzled Jack for a moment.

He took a second to stop and think and then winced as he realized what he had just said, what he had just insinuated. "That sounded bad, didn't it?" he asked. He might have been stuck in his youth, but he still knew innuendos and how the mind of a young teenager worked. He floated up into the air and drifted towards Jamie. "I'm fairly sure you know what I meant when I said that. It's not that I would-I mean, I wasn't assuming that you'd be my first in _everything_. I was-" Jack stopped and scrambled a hand through his hair. Jamie merely continued to blush; a smile twisted on his lips and stuck there, wide as the coal inserts on a snowman's face. Jamie's cheeks, too, were a vibrant red, innocent and humble. Jack's own cheeks stung with a blush. Why was this so hard? It seemed that Jack's face merely drove Jamie's laughter on; the boy turned his head and laughed so sweetly.

"Yeah, yeah; I'm the 300-year-old-virgin. Har har," Jack said as he tried to deflate the awkward humor that was emanating around him. He could feel the heat in his ears and on the very tip of his noes now; it wasn't often that something got his frost in such a twist.

Jamie held up his hands and waved them. "No, no, I'm not trying to laugh at you!" Jamie said as he straightened and cleared his face of all silliness. "300 years is an awful long time to never love anyone; I'm not just talking about sex. Contrary to popular belief, thats not all we teen boys think of. Sex is something you should experience with someone you love, yeah? Um, just like kissing. You mean you've never met someone before that you've wanted to kiss?" he asked.

It was a bit reassuring and easy the way Jamie was so level headed. Jack thought for a moment again, pondering his life in the long time of 300 years. There wasn't anyone beyond the other spirits that could see him. Naturally, he kept a distance. He had watched people as he fell in love; that would sit on the icy benches in the snowy parks and confess of feelings of warm liquid in their hearts and rambunctious butterflies in their stomachs. On occasion, Jack would envy them, not because they had someone to kiss, but that they had someone to talk to, to believe in and in return receive belief. It would have been too painful to fall love with someone, knowing that they would never know, never see.

Jack shook his head to answer Jamie's question.

"Not even from before you were a spirit?"

Jack shook his head again.

"I've only ever been in love with one person. I've loved him for as long as I can remember. His strength, protective nature, playful ways. He once took me on the best sleigh ride of my life, and he wouldn't ever give up on me even when I was running low on belief," Jamie said clearly; his voice seemed to shatter the frosted dark of the pond.

Jack couldn't help but look up at his first faithful companion with a face of wide-eyed delight.

"And I'm kind of hoping he'll let me in on how he feels too, because I know he watches me at night and snoops in on my dreams," Jamie added as he gave a proud motherly look, complete with hands on his hips.

Jack winced, but smiled all the same. "I saw your dream tonight and that was all," he said stiffly. "I can't help that I want to check in on you-I. I do care about you, Jamie."

To this, Jamie smiled, eyes bright and a chilling fear gripped Jack. He swallowed. "I've never been in love before. Is it love when you want to spend every waking moment with that person, want to know if they're safe and warm? Is it love when everything you do ends up being for them, and no matter how hard you try, your subconscious drifts to them?"

Jamie was calm in his answer. "I may be young and naïve, but that certainly sounds like love to me," he said simply. "Or maybe it's just my wishful ears are just hearing what they so desperately want to hear," he said as he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Jack's slim waist. He pulled the suspended spirit forward through the air and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Regardless; I thank you for this night. It has been the best in my short life."

Jack twisted his head just in the slightest and caught Jamie's lips before they moved away. He was curious about that soft flesh and loved the sweet taste of his chapstick. He wanted one last nip, one last lick. He could feel himself growing bold; out of his mouth came his tongue, mischievous and eager to experience that warmth of Jamie's.

He tasted sweet, like a bob of cherries in midwinter. Jack consumed Jamie's lips and hovered over him, pulling the frozen tips of his fingers through Jamie's soft, bed tussled hair.

It was so strange to think that he would have ended up falling for another boy; perhaps it was best that his life had played out as it did. That he had been given this gift of eternal life just so he could come meet Jamie. Jack was okay with that, content and satisfied. They broke their kiss and smiled, each feeling pleased.

"Come on. I think you're nose is going to break off if we keep at this," Jack said as he noticed the bright glow of Jamie's nose. His lips too had adorned a chilling hue of blue from the constant contact with something so frigged. Jamie did not seem uncomfortable or cold, merely happy for the attention, so Jack allowed himself to not feel guilty at having made his lips turn such a color. He gripped into the other's gloved hand and turned to guide him back up the disappearing tracks they had made coming down. They walked in a dreamy silence, Jamie cozied up in his coat and hat, and Jack content in his cold sweatshirt.

The night had drawn on and the temperature had only gotten lower. It had been snowing for a while since Jack had first arrived. The two boys walked up the lonely side walk up to Jamie's house, hand in hand and goofy, dreamy, looks about their faces. Jamie pulled himself up on to the tree in his yard and shimmied his slender body onto to his blacked, empty room. Jack helped him by lifting him and pushing him towards the window. Jamie snorted and pulled himself, pushing the window open and crawling inside.

He tore off his hat to reveal his dampened hair. It was funny how much darker it got when it was wet, like ribbons of melted chocolate on top of his head. He scrambled his hand through his hair and pulled it back from his face, it stuck and stayed slicked back, revealing his forehead. "That's a good look for you; you should consider keeping it," Jack said as Jamie pulled on him. Jack was leaning on the outside of the window, feet crossed.

"Leaving?" Jamie asked.

Jack nodded.

"You're sure you don't want to stay?"

Jack looked around the room; his face growing warm again, either from the heat of the room coming out, or from the sudden realization of what he would do if he had stayed with Jamie that night. He shook his head. "I have other places to attend to. Have to spread that winter holiday scenery. Let people enjoy it while they can before the start to gripe about how cold it is and how they hate the snow," he said.

Jamie understood and leaned down to give Jack a final kiss. This one made his toes curl. Jamie was so cold, like him, but the heat of his room had begun to warm and melt the snow from his hair. It was a cool and moist feel, pleasant. He was sure that at that point, he had licked all of Jamie's chapstick off for he could not taste it anymore. It was just Jamie; his lips were chapped from the cold of Jack's, but in his imperfections, he was even more enjoyable than ever. Jack, feeling more confidant in his kissing abilities drove the kiss on, and caressed the young boy's cheek with a single frozen finger. His touch left gentle wisps of frost on Jamie's cheek, who merely laughed at the tingling feel. Jack pulled away and whispered goodnight, rolling off and dashing away through the frost incrusted night.


	4. Chapter 4

_From the author to you fabulous reader, _

_As always, thank you for your support and well thought out comments, and critiques. I certainly appreciate the help! _

_At first I thought taking on Jamie's POV would have been hard and annoying because I'd have to take on the tone of a normal teenager, yet for some reason I had way to much fun typing this out. _

_I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed typing it. _

_As always, I encourage critiques, questions, comments, concerns. I'm eager to hear how you think I can improve this story, and my writing. _

**-This story has been disclaimed, yo!-**

The pinkish hews of the sunrise peeked over the landscape and threw a cascading display of lights on the tops of the walls of his room. On any other day, it would have merely been the same old sight of a sunrise in his room, but on that day, after the events of the night before, everything was as though it was being viewed through rose colored glasses. Jamie receded deeper into his womb of cozy blankets and pulled them close around his chest, knowing that he would have to stay covered and warm if he didn't want to get sick over the holiday break. After a night like that, after who he had been kissing. That would be miserable indeed to get sick after such a great thing. He sighed and touched his fingers to his lips, remembering the kisses he had received last night. The kisses he had given. If he concentrated, he could conjure the memory of Jack's lips.

He release a hot sigh and curled his legs up to himself, watching the displays of pink shift to red, then to orange as the morning went on. He was certainly kicking off the holidays with just the right attitude. In a few minutes he would get up and scuttle his way downstairs to get some food; in a few minutes. Just a few more. He was so comfortable, he didn't want to leave the confines of his blankets. He wanted to stay there all day, wrapped up in his happy visions of Jack and their perfect night.

He could have had a prefect morning too, had his sister not seen him so content. She peered in through the crack of his door and pushed it open, eyeballing him and his goofy grin. "What's got you so smily and dopy looking this morning?"

Jamie wiggled further in his blankets and mumbled something through the fabric. Not even he was sure what he was saying; he thought it sounded like: 'go away and leave me to my world of perfection.' Sophie ignored him and stepped into his room, barging in on his domain and looking around. "Have a good dream or something?" she said. She was a world class snoop, and a jabber jaw too. Like any girl, she was hardly able to keep a secret, so Jamie didn't want to let her in on anything that had happened to him in the previous hours.

She must have thought she was a detective or something, because she walked slowly around his room, examining his things. She kicked his wet clothes around the floor, then turned to look out his window. She tip toed closer and leaned on cill, peering out onto the roof and tree.

"You went sneaking out again last night, didn't you?"

Jamie mumbled and turned his back to her; he was wrapped in a prefect moment, couldn't she just let him be? "Sophie," he whine quite pathetically.

"You're a big 'ol sneak. Who did you go off to see? Girlfriend?" she paused and got a sneaky smile on her face that made Jamie's gut churn. "Boyfriend?"

Jamie was fairly sure his sister knew a lot more about him than she let on; her games of pretending were merely for show. He never could understand her even on the best of days. Jamie pulled his blankets over his head and let out an exaggerated sigh into his pillow.

"Oh Jamie; you don't need to be ashamed. You can tell dear 'ol Soph," she said as she pranced forward.

From beneath his blanketed sanctuary, Jamie peered out at her. "It was just Jack. He came last night to visit," he said and Sophie screamed.

"Shut up!"

"And you didn't come to tell me? He's my friend too," she said very sternly. Jamie could care less. Jack would come again and Sophie could see him then; though, he was unsure if he would be willing to share his attention now that he had gotten right where he wanted it to be. Sophie came stomping towards him and smacked him lightly/ "Why try to be all secretive about it; if it's just Jack. Woopide-" she paused, and a little fire light in her eye. She shut her mouth and her lips pressed into a neat little line as something clicked in her funny little brain.

"You put the moves on Jack, didn't you?" she asked.

Jamie's face seemed to catch fire as his cheeks burned with a blush. He sat up, throwing his blankets off of him.

"Don't even try to lie; you're laying in bed with that dorky face. You put the moves on him, didn't you?" she defended before he could even open his mouth.

Jamie felt like his stomach was being pumped full of air, like he would burst at any moment. His stomach rolled and flopped off into some corner of his body. "Go away!" He stuttered as he pointed at the door. Sophie waved him off. She was not intimidated by her older brother, she left, not because he had told her so, but most likely because she had grown bored of the lack of knowledge that Jamie was willing to share.

It was going to be a long winter break now that Sophie had gotten wind of some juicy information. Jamie scrambled a hand through his hair and continued to grumble. It wasn't that he didn't want his sister to know; okay, yeah: he didn't want his sister to know. He didn't want it to be let out that he had fallen for a guardian; essentially, he had fallen in love with a spirit, a myth, a ghost. A boy no less. He didn't know what he feared worst.

It wasn't that he was ashamed of himself; more that he was a bit confused as to how he was to tell everyone without first being laughed at, then second be tossed into the loony bin.

Rather than focusing on the anguish, though, Jamie decided to shuffle out of bed and go downstairs to get some of that breakfast he had been promising himself. Sophie, thank God, was not downstairs when Jamie had gotten there. His mom was in the kitchen. She was flipping through her recipe books, looking for the dishes she wanted to use for Christmas dinner no doubt.

"Morning; or I guess afternoon, now," she said as she looked at the microwave clock. It wasn't quite noon, only 11, but Jamie didn't care much to argue. He covered a yawn and grabbed for a box of breakfast pastries from the cabinet. If he was going to be any kind of functional on the first day of break, the he would need the proper amount of sugar. Maybe he would inject it straight into his veins and ride off on that high for the remaining part of the morning and use it to charge him while playing video games. He couldn't say for sure. He hadn't planned the prefect day yet.

He tore into the silver package like some wild savage and shoved the faked pastry into his mouth. Sophie had come into the room in that moment and glared at him. Jamie merely responded by shoving more of the breakfast treat into his mouth so he would have the excuse to not talk.

His mom tutted him and snatched the wrapper from his hand. "You're being gross; act like an adult please," she said as she tossed the empty wrapper into the bin. Jamie mumbled and a waterfall of crumbs fell from his mouth. Both Sophie and his mother looked at him with a confused look, mixed with horror and disgust. Jamie sighed as his mom cleared her throat, recovering from Jamie's chipmunk reenactment. "You kids are going with me and your father to the Christmas Stroll tonight, right?"

Living in a small town meant that there were communal gatherings every every so often. It was good for the community spirit, good for the local shops, venders, and merchants. Practically the whole town would shut down just so that everyone could gather and walk up and down Main Street and see into all the perfectly decorated shops. There would be food venders, and hot chocolate stands; all of this would be lined up downtown after the stars had come out.

Jamie shrugged his shoulders and swallowed the last bits of his soggy food. He didn't want to say why he wanted to stay home, just that he did want to stay home. What if Jack came back to visit him? He didn't want to miss him, but he also didn't want to make mention of it. He knew if he said no, his mom would ask why and then Sophie would find it her rightful obligation to open her mouth wide.

He could hear it and see it pan out in his mind: 'Jamie's got a date!'

'Oh who is she? That's so sweet; just invite her with you, Jamie.'

Jamie swallowed and sunk low in his chair. Sophie looked at him and practically dared him to say no.

"Of course I'm going with you, Mom." Sophie was shocked, but she nodded as though Jamie had made a wise mood in chess or something.

His mom clapped her hands. "Good; there's supposed to be a marching show tonight. Something new that the high school band is putting on."

Though he was listening, he just wasn't caring. He waved his hand and turned away from the counter. "I'm going to go use the TV," he said as his mom chatted on. He left Sophie high and dry to sit and listen to their mother talk. He snickered and plopped down in front of he screen, fully intent on being useless for the remainder of the morning.

The day crept by; lunch came and went and Jamie was yawning back in his room, dressed and presentable for the day. His father had come home and kicked him off of the TV, showing him away and muttering something about doing more productive things than just play 'his weirdo elf games.' Jamie leaned back in his desk chair; the sun now bid its goodbys to his sleepy town and sunk low in its cradle beyond the mountains.

His stomach noted as he stared out the window, hoping to catch sight of a certain white haired boy, floating around languidly about the sky. It would soon be time to leave, and he feared so much that Jack would come and go upon seeing his vacant room. Maybe he could fake being sick, but at what risk? His sister would see straight through that and open her flapping lips. Jamie groaned and slumped over his desk, defeated and upset. He pouted and stared at the dying light of gold and orange.

He was waiting for his impending doom. From downstairs, his mother called and Jamie pushed away from the desk, looking out to the darkening window one last time. He grabbed his things: wallet, jacket, gloves, hat, scarf and made his way downstairs to march downtown for the Christmas festivities and joyous times, or at least for everyone else's joyous times. At that point, Jamie was far too gone in his self pity and misery. He shoved his hands in his pockets and drug his feet as he followed his parents down the snowy stretch of main street.

Children danced around and his sister laughed along, nudging him to only sour his mood. "You've been moping all day. Still mad about this morning? Okay I retreat. You've slain me and defeated me. I wont make any more mention of your and Jack's little love secret," she said as she crossed her heart and stuck her tiny, pink-polished pinky in her eye.

Jamie groaned at the very mention of Jack's name. Around him the world filled with Christmas cheer. The shops glistened and twinkled with the sprawling lights that threaded about in their display windows. Shoe shops, toy shops, clothes stores, bakeries. Main Street had it all, but it wasn't enough for Jamie. Sophie snorted and pushed on him. "Did you want to see him again tonight or something?"

Jamie nodded and Sophie twisted her arms behind her back. "Must be rough. You can't even text him," she said, making him feel worse. His face twisted and he looked at her.

"You're not helping."

"I'm trying to get you to see how stupid you're being. Look around; you're lucky. Your boy toy is all around you. How do you think we got this snow?" she asked as she bent and scooped a pile of it into her mitten. She held it up for Jamie to see and blew on it so some of the crystallized flakes scattered towards him. Jamie laughed as went down the front of his coat and touched on his bare skin. Maybe she was right, his grumpy attitude wasn't helping and it was time to enjoy the night. The smell of sweet coca misted the air, and fluffed and stuffed Santas stood around and handed out candy canes.

Sophie dropped the pile of snow and received two candies from the nearest Santa. Wishing Jamie a merry Christmas, she handed one of the twisted, sweet sticks. Jamie smiled, and accepted her gift gladly and cheered up. His sister may have been rotten, but he did love her.

Their mother turned and snapped a picture from her camera phone. "Look at how adorable my children are being, Walt," she said as Sophie and Jamie clanked their candy canes together in a cheers.

She touched her hand to her bosom and fluttered her eyes in a dramatic display of love and affection.

Jamie turned and hid his hot cheeks from his mother; his sister wrapped her arm around his shoulders.

Off in the distance, the sound of pounding on hallowed plastic could be heard. It was obnoxious and demanded the attention of the strollers. The crowds of people parted, gathering their dogs and children into their arms to give room to the lines of marchers as they quick stepped down the icy street. It was a rhythmic chaos, organized by the leaders of the band, the drum majors, with their bells an whistles. Rather than having fancy metal harnesses with expensive drums attached, each student had a brightly colored gallon bucket strapped to some rope and tossed around their shoulders. They marched in straight lines and beat on their poor man's drums with gusto and excitement. Their beats echoed off of the buildings around and filled the air as the crowds cheered louder to match their noise.

They moved in unison, shimmied to the left, then to the right. It was always the band's job to show off. It was what they did best, and now that football season had ended for the school year, they could be the brightest. The drum majors sang a familiar tune and the plastic drums merely quieted to let their voices carry off into the crowd who all recognized the notes and slowly echoed the tune. It was surprising how the sound of hitting on plastic buckets could be so fun. The beat they set made the masses want to wiggle and shake. Sophie, obviously, could not contain her eagerness and jumped up and down excitedly and moved in small little circles. "You're being embarrassing again," Jamie said as he nudged her.

He was sure she couldn't hear him. He rolled his eyes, not really minding her display of happiness. Something caught his attention off in the distance, and in that moment, he captured a glimpse of white in the corner of his eye. There on the roof, just on the edge of the drummer's sound, sat Jack, leaning over and peering down at the curious scene. Or was he looking at Jamie?

Between the time it took him to register that Jack had been there, to the time to react with a smile, Jack had gone, vanished from the roof. Jamie spun around. Maybe it had just been him getting his hopes up?

Jame stared out towards the crowds of faces that stood across the street from him and he saw it again. A tuft of white hair moving through the people. It was Jack. Jamie smiled, but remained calm, not wanting to embarrass himself. Jack parted through the people easily, no one noticed him. A few children looked to him, but paid no extra attention to it. Who would pay any mind to a boy in a blue sweatshirt? He seemed like another boy. Jack crossed the street and wiggled between the people. Jamie smiled as he felt him press near in the crowd.

Sophie turned in her little circles and noticed the new figure standing with them and screamed again. Thankfully, the drummers had been right next to them so that her ear piercing scream was muted by something equally as loud. She grabbed onto Jack and hugged him.

She turned her attention away from the two boys, happy for the crowds of singing people. She joined in on Whoas and Ahhs of the song and continued to march to her own pace.

Jamie, too, barely able to contain his own excitement swayed to the beat of the plastic drum's. In that moment, with his friends and family, Jamie felt the most alive. If only to make this moment prefect; Jack reached down and grasped onto his gloved hand and laced his fingers with his own. Jamie held his hand gladly and stood beside his dear friend. He found his voice and sang along too.


	5. Chapter 5

_From the author to you fabulous reader, _

_I know I usually post every other day, or so, but this week sort of blew up on my face. I've spent my fair share of all-nighters and have been huddled in a corner, gripping tight to a bottle of vodka for support. It has been a long haul, but thankfully, it is now behind me. Finals are over and I've written vomit in the form of medieval research. It took me a while to recover than I thought it would. I've been curled up on my couch with mugs of spiked hot cocoa and games Mass Effect for comfort. It took me a while longer to get back into the writing spirit. _

_I hope you all enjoy what I've written!_

_As a show of good manners, I will work hard on trying to post another chapter tonight; bear with me, though, these things take might come up tomorrow morning. _

_Also, I cannot promise that I'll be posting often for this next week as I think I will be busy. I'm a big boy now and am actually hosting Christmas at my house this year, so I'll have family to entertain for the rest of the week... My words are positively dripping with a mock joy. Tis the season to be surrounded by ankle biting family members, yeah? Oh wait this is Christmas, my mistake; there's some other reason for celebrating Christmas, right? _

**-Knock knickity knock knock **

**Who's there? **

**Disclaimer**

**I still don't give a shit-**

The festivities went on without a problem, or a hitch. Despite a few glances from other students that went to Jamie's school, or from other, younger, children, the two were left alone—that is, they were left alone with Sophie; though Jamie couldn't bring himself to mind _too _much. He was simply pleased that Jack had found him and had come to stand with him amongst the festivities and joys. Was it that he had seen the the crowds, or heard the loud noises from the drums, or was it that Jack had come looking for him? Either way, Jamie was pleased; he didn't want to leave the other's side. This excitement over a new relationship was such a great excitement. Jamie wondered if he would ever get used to the knotting feeling in his stomach.

It seemed that Sophie was more concerned with catching up with Jack. The three walked along the streets, stopping on occasion to look into a store window, or listen to a group of carolers. She chatted away and all around assumed she was just talking to Jamie. Jack would laughed and teased her as their conversation flowed, Jamie left to follow and listen politely.

Sometimes, a young child would come up to Jack and tug on his coat. It was astonishing how easy it was for Jack to keep that mischievous wonder in his eye that held all of the attention that children had to give.

He would bend and whisper in their ear and they would laugh and smile and run away. How lucky it must have been to hear the frosted spirit's cool voice and tender words against their warm skin. It was a night of bliss and frolic, and Jack was more than happy to spread that winter charm wherever he went, pressing his pale fingers against the windows, or blowing a dizzying display of snowflakes that dusted the eyes of children all around. He would always do things like that whenever he came, then he'd turn and wink, 'just spreading forth a little winter spirit.'

These were just a few things that Jamie loved about Jack. His job was merely to spread joy, and Jamie admired that.

The streets cleared and the families soon went trudging home, stuffed full of candy and fudge, heads packed tightly with carols and Christmas tales of old. From the silencing distance, Jamie could hear his mother's voice. "Are you kids walking home, or a you coming with us?" she asked. Sophie looked to Jack while Jamie spoke out instantly.

"We'll walk home. Thanks!" he said.

His mom waved and turned, holding her husband close and whispering something in his ear.

Jamie turned to his sister and Jack, and raised an eyebrow at the look in Jack's eye. It was that same look that held his captivation with the spirit for as long as he could remember. Jamie's stomach knotted, glad to be given such a look. Jack puckered his lips in a display of simple appreciation. He nodded his head and stepped forward on the tips of his toes, walking diligently and gracefully on the snow and ice that fluttered out from his steps. "I'll give it to you small town folks. You know how to throw a decent Christmas party," he said in a mockingly respectful tone.

Sophie rolled her eyes; always the one to catch on quickly when insults were being thrown. "Well don't you sound all high and mighty. Fly across the world everyday and see sights we can't imagine. I'm glad our modest display of festivities could please you, oh mighty, frozen prince," she said as she bowed.

Jack laughed and put his hand in his front pocket; he touched something hidden there for a moment, twisting it in his hand. He pulled it out and spun it- a snow-globe. Had Jamie not known better, he would have merely assumed that it was just what it appeared to be, but things where hardly what they first seemed to be with Jack.

Carefully, he twisted the ball in his hand, looking to it for a moment, then back again at the two young mortals. "Do you guys want to see a real Christmas celebration?" he asked as he tossed the snow globe up into the air gently, letting it fall back down into his open palm.

For a moment, Jamie and Sophie turned and looked at each other, each surprised that they had been asked such a question. It was a no brainer, for sure; they turned and with breathless hopes, both nodding, eyes wide and mouths agape.

Of course all of this was too fun for Jack. He stepped off with a skip in his wake and the Bennetts followed him into a secluded alley way. He crouched into the shadows and gave the globe a light toss before smashing against a wall across from them.

In a bright display of snow and wind, a mouth opened. Where the wall was, once shut and solid, a opening onto a winter plain now stood; everything was quiet and still; and perhaps a bit frightening, but thankfully Jamie and Sophie had grown and their fears were not something that would hold them back. Jack motioned for them to follow as he traveled through the magical opening.

In a brief moment, Jamie and Sophie exchanged glanced, but held onto each other's hands and stepped forward, hoping through the portal, each with their eyes shut and their breaths trapped in their mouths.

"You guys act like I took you on a roller coster ride," they heard Jack's voice say.

They opened their eyes and had to keep themselves from responding with too much of a shock. As they turned, they could see off off in the distance a glorious display of lights, jubilant and proud. Off in the middle of what first appeared to be a barren wasteland. All around the city of lights was nothing bust snow mounds and glaciers. Had Jack brought them to the North Pole? He must have!

Jamie looked to his sister; he watched for a moment as the breath left her lips, steaming the air in a visible display of white smoke. She looked to him and her smile was as wide as any perfected doll's. Never before had they been invited to the North Pole; they had seen Santa, talked with him, but they had never actually gone to his workshop.

Jack hoped up and hovered in the air just before them. His smile, like Sophie's, was as wide as ever and his eyes gleamed dangerously. "Coming?" He asked as he brought his nimble fingers to his lips.

Jamie had no time to respond. There was a sound of a whistle emanating from Jack's lips, soft at first, but it grew louder and louder until it shook the very snow that they stood on. The earth gave a shy shutter and the snow shifted, rolling out all around them. It twisted and turned, snaking through the air like some frozen serpent. It danced and jumped and continued like that. The snow was thinking on its own, shaping and mimicking the form of life. The two children pointed and oo'ed and aww'ed; if only to inflate Jack's ego further.

The snowy animals shook, completed in their frozen birth, standing before them in the shape of two very large and very proud reindeer. They shook their white antlers and stomped their icy hooves. The sounds they made, the movements, it was as though the were truly alive. Jack hovered over their antlers and tickled one's nose; it shook its great horned head and sneezed,. Truly they were a sight to behold. Jack's power, his initiative, his imagination; it wondered the children and provided them with a treasurable experience indeed!

On a skip and a hop, Sophie jumped forward and sprung onto one of the creatures, gripping tight to its main and giggling madly. She squirmed and wiggled and Jack snorted, floating down and helping her up into the intricately sculpted saddle upon its back.

She merely egged on his ego by continuing to giggle and situated herself.

Not wanting to embarrass himself, Jamie approached his own wild, frozen steed with a bit more caution and calm. It stamped its hoof and leaned down to stare at him with one frozen, crystal eye. Jack's magic was impressive indeed; it was almost alive, the detail, its fur, its breath. Jamie peered into mirror reflection in the glass of the deer's eye until it blinked, and he jumped back, laughing. Thinking their game fun, the deer knelt into the snow and bowed its head, allowing Jamie access to the frozen throne upon its back. Jamie looked to Sophie who was busy trying to control her deer. Jack followed, making sure she did not fall. They laughed as the deer bound off into the snow piles.

Jamie allowed himself a little giddy laugh and hopped onto the deer that received him gladly and perhaps a bit more willingly than Sophie's deer. He took up the reigns and turned, watching the scene of his sister and his truest friend playing in the pale light of the moon. They had a field of snow to gallop through, at least a few miles to trek before they even reached the border of the city. Jamie urged his snowy animal forward. "Are you guys going to play around in the snow like little children, or are we going to go see Santa?" he yelled out, forgetting almost how to use his voice. The cold bit his tongue and caused him to shut his mouth quickly and smile when the three stopped their joyous frolicking and raised their heads to him.

Jamie moved forward; his deer feeling what he had in mind and growing restless with each passing second. His smile only twisted further. "We have a long way to travel it looks; I wonder who can get there first," he said as he looked out to the vast plains.

Sophie looked for herself and turned her horned steed round. Jack merely floated away, rolling on his back. "I can understand your competition with your sister, but you're essentially challenging the arctic winds, you know that, yeah?"

To this remark, Jamie only rolled his head on his shoulders and shrugged. His deer snorted, bounding forward, prancing in a display of pride in his ability. Jamie patted his white fur and whispered something in his ear. Jack leaned forward, brow furrowed.

_"We can show them; can't we, boy?"_ Jamie asked and the deer shook his head again.

There was a snap of the reins in the cold air that night. Had there been walls around them, the sound surly would have echoed off and bounced back to them; but being out in the harsh open, the sound only traveled out from them, rippling off into the peaceful dark. Jamie's deer burst forward in a sheer display of will and power, raising its strong legs up through the snow piles, lifting it's whole body up out of the snow before landing back down again.

His speed was impressive. Jamie turned to look at Sophie who was standing in the wake of his snowy fury. Snow kicked out from behind his deer and fluttered out into the air. She was calling out something to him, but the wind took her voice elsewhere. He laughed as he caught a sight of Jack's surprise. Snapping his reigns again, ventured off as quick as can be. He laughed and clenched to the saddle with his legs. It was hard to stay balanced, but he would show them. "Ha ha!"

The wind was wonderful; that feel of the cold in his hair. It lapped at his cheeks and bit as lips and nose. He was laughing uncontrollably, giggling for joy. The wind howled in his ears. It tussled his hair and cheered for him; he could almost hear wind calling his name. On forward, faster his deer went until he could hear the sounds of galloping beside him; he turned and caught a glimpse of his sister riding up, catching up to him quickly, determined smile and gleam in the pale of her eye. Jamie egged her on and rode faster towards the city.

There was a gust of wind and a cool nip at the back of their necks. They shuttered and receded down into their coats, casting their eyes upward at the magic boy who made this all possible. He rode along the currents of the air, gliding on his staff like some sailor on the wind's hand. It was a treat just to watch him alone. Never mind the fancy deer and their strong legs, never mind the festive city that lay just before them. The way Jack swerved on the currents, dipping, raising, falling, spinning, laughing. The sound of his voice on the wind. The look on his face, his white teeth that sparkled in the night. Jamie was falling for him; falling into a spiral of emotions that he couldn't begin to understand. He wanted to be with Jack, be his everything, give him everything. The more he saw him in their years of friendship, the more the emotion in his heart grew.

Jack laughed and mocked them, taunting them and urging them forwards, faster through the frosted snow. The air was cold and overly eager to bite and nip, but it was a welcoming feeling, like the touch of Jack's lips on his own. Jamie was racing against him and pressed forth. His deer galloped beautifully through such deep snow. Occasionally, it's hooves would hover off of the ground for a few moments, fluttering in the dry air above, flakes of snow raining down from its hind and legs; it was as though they were flying. Jamie let out a holler of excitement. He raised his face to the darkened sky and twinkling stars and howled, his sister followed his lead and did the same.

Such joy; the whole world could hear them if it merely opened its ears and allowed that sound in. Jack laughed, weaving through the air on his wind, he raised his hands to his to his mouth and let out his own howl. It was ear piercing, loud, and chilling. He grinned and caught Jamie's eye.

Despite the amount of work his heart was doing—what with all of the excitement and vigorous activity with holding onto the galloping deer—Jamie's heart stopped, and his chest clenched. He was stuck, dumbfounded at the look of Jack against the glorious display of stars and distant worlds in the sky. He watched as Jack waved his hand, as though he would dip his finger into paint, and drew dazzling lights across the sky with the brush of his finger. The lights of blue and green hues weaved and waved, shimmering like a great scaly dragon, fat and lazy on a trove of treasure. It snaked around the city of North and nestled over it, wrapping it like a present with a one-of-a-kind-bow. Jamie stared, clinging to his deer's reins as though they were his tether to reality. He feared that if he let go, he would float off and drown in the vast black with thousands upon thousands of stars.

Jack swirled, flying gracefully and spinning round to land in Jamie's saddle. He gripped him tight, holding onto his waste for support as he rode along on Jamie's deer. His cold chin and sweet icy breath tickled at Jamie's cheek. Although his skin was already chilled and perhaps a bid numbed by the Northern winter, he still shuttered against the feel of it. Against the howling wind, against the sound of the hooves in the snow, Jamie could hear Jack's voice, that sweet singing bell alone on a cold winter's night.

"Beautiful."

Jamie wasn't quite sure what it was that Jack was talking about in that moment. Was it the city, the lights in the sky, the stars? He didn't dare ask; he would rather loose himself in his voice and fill his thoughts with that single word that Jack uttered.

He was surrounded by the cold, the snow of the North, the frost spirit at his back, the snowy deer upon which he sat, yet Jamie was satisfied, warm and happy. He closed his eyes as the gates to the enchanted city neared. The deer slowed, and came to a joyous bound, chest heaving heavily, and breath coming out in exasperated puffs.

The guardsmen of the gates stiffened and snarled at Jack, who merely hopped up and perched on the rear end of his snowy creation. He smiled and waved and the great furry beast as they shuffled forward through the snow, grumbling in some language that neither Jamie or Sophie could understand; they were too captivated by the look of the city through the gates: the cobblestone streets, the little shops, toys, candy, bakeries, clothes, shoes, everything. The smell of peppermint and freshly prepared pies emanated out on the cool wind and had both children leaning forward on their saddles.

"Oh come on Phil; I'm a guardian now, can't I come in and see the parade? If you don't, I'm just going to take these guys up to the usual spot and watch from there anyway. May as well let us in since we came all this way," Jack said as he leaned on his staff and flattered the giant. "You're still the greatest guard I know; these are the children that helped out when they could. Don't you think it's the least we could do, show them a good time? You yetis know how to party best after all."

The furry yeti grumbled faster, waving his paws in the air, his eyes wild and wide. He gestured to Jamie, then to Jack, then to the gates, before stomping off and releasing the latch. The iron gates rolled open and allowed the children passage.

Jamie could hardly believe it; he sat on his steed and leaned forward, peering through the rack of impressive antlers. Jack rolled off and stepped forward, gripping the reins of both deer. "Come on, children, North is this way. Now you will see what a real Christmas party is all about."


	6. Chapter 6

_From the author to you fabulous reader,_

_If I haven't yet gotten back to you and sent you replies to your reviews yet, I'm working on it! Promises, promises. _

_It's not too late for the Christmas feels, right? Right? I'm terribly sorry; what with family and starting a new job, I'm afraid I've been negligent with my story. Fear not, though; we seem to be back on track. I should be popping out stories at my usual speed now. _

_I hope your Christmases were bright and fun. Did you all get what you wanted? Have fun eating and spending time with family, I hope? Let me know how it went if you like; and as always, leave comments, concerns, questions, critiques in my reviews, or PM box. I'm happy to receive any advice or other messages._

_Happy belated-Christmas! This is my gift to you._

**-We wish you a happy holidays, and also bring you a disclaimer that wont be insulted for the purposes of this happy chapter-**

Clip-a-de-clop-clip-de-clip went the sounds of the hooves on the cobblestone. It was practically music to Jamie's ears, though he could hardly contain his attention on one single thing. He and his sister spun and looked all around them, not wanting to miss a single detail. Not a single delicately decorated cookie, nor stocking stuffed with care went unnoticed by the children and the cantered by. Garland strung the allies, candy canes hung from them and swayed in the cold wind, but not a single elf was in sight. Sophie poked him and shot him a questioning glance. "Where are all of the elves?" she asked.

Jamie, feeling raw from the rough ride, hopped down from his perch on top of the deer, shrugging his shoulders as he landed. He pulled the hood of his jacket up—his ears has officially gone cold and raw from the stinging wind. "I dunno; Jack?" Jamie trotted forward and took one of the reins from the spirit's hand, leading his sister now by the reins down the winding path that the traveled on.

The streets were all aglow with the soft aura of lanterns that littered the sidewalks, each with their own decorations, pictures of different elves, and yetis, little figurines, glass orbs and sweets for any passing pedestrian—should he find he was hungry. Jack reached out and plucked a sugar plum from the garland's grip and popped it into his mouth. He spoke with the sweet tucked away in his cheek, mumbled actually. "They're gathering in Town Square. This is the dawning of Christmas Eve."

Again, Jack plucked a sweet from the decorated poles and popped it into Jamie's mouth. "You'll see your elves," he said with a wink and a toothy grin. He tossed a wrapped chocolate coin to Sophie and trotted on, Jamie's deer nudging him in the back with his nose and horns, clearly upset that he had been forgotten in the giving of treats. Jamie paused on the lonely street and spun around, the houses were not as small as he would have though they would be. Weren't elves supposed to be small. He always imagined that the North Pole would have been a miniature world save for Santa's workshop. These houses and shops, well, they were his size, actually a bit bigger than normal. He remember the large creatures at the front gate and wondered just how many lived here in the north.

Realizing that he was being left behind, Jamie snagged a candied apple from the treat pole and jogged to catch up to his company. He held out the sweet to his deer that graciously chomped onto it and licked comically at the carmel. Could frozen deer even eat candied apples? Apparently this one could. Jamie shrugged and gave the remaining apple to Sophie's deer. "Can you actually believe that we're here?"

"No," she said as she rocked in her saddled, being toted along the path like some princess. "It's only the best night I've ever experienced in my life."

Jamie laughed and shrugged his shoulders; this was a good night, but it wasn't _the best_ night that he had ever experienced. Jack had the good graciousness to show him the best night so far in his short life.

The three walked along the narrow streets. The further they ventured in, the more obvious that the city also had elves for residents. Some streets would jut off, twist away and shrink so small that not even Sophie could squeeze through, let alone two fully grown, snow replicas of deer. If they found themselves on a shrinking path, Jack would merely float up into the sky and scope out another path, hoovering back down and leading them off onto another street. They were looking for Main Street; Main Street was always a place that would lead into the heart of any city. Except this street that they were looking for was labeled Candy Cane ln.

Jamie thought a bit cheesy when Jack told him the name of the street so that he could better keep an eye out, but he kept to himself. The further they ventured in the more they saw. Trees that bore the fruit of already candied apples. Vines of sugar plum that clung to window cills and grew along the walls like ivory. Jamie saw Poinsettias that grew to be one hundred times as big as normal ones, their leaves were as big as beds and probably just as comfortable too! He saw wooden puppets that moved on their own, greeting them from shop windows and dancing little jigs for them. He could have swore he even saw a nut cracker and a rat chatting with each other.

"The weather's been a bit to nippy for my nose. I don't like it, can't smell all of the good smells."

They trotted on, though, before Jamie could point it out. At each wonder, the children pointed.

"Look over there!"

"See that!?"

Jack chuckled, though he had been no different his first time within the gates of North's world.

The city was wide and vast, but the sounds of cheers and joys indescribable reached their ears and motioned for them to follow up a hill. The deer pranced at the sound of bells in the distance, the could hear the calls of their brothers and picked up their pace to gallop, pulling Jack and Jamie behind them.

Jack laughed and gripped Jamie, raising him up into the sky and setting him back down in the saddle, nestling in behind him and gripping his waste. Sophie looked to them and gave Jamie a look of approval, winking and clicking her tongue. "Ooo ooo," she said. "You know, I could have stayed home. I'd hate to ruin a first date," she said as she cast a sideways smirk.

Jamie's cheeks burned red again. In that moment, he was grateful that he was facing away from Jack. He could hear laughter ring out from behind him and suddenly those cold hands were removed from his waist. Jamie's blush only deepened and he shot a nasty look to Sophie.

"I think I can find it in my heart to forgive you, dear one," Jack responded with his own sass that could rival Sophie's. "This whole night is ruined because of you, what what can you do? Why did I make the mistake of brining you? Oh woe," Jack continued as he leaned back, pretending to faint.

Jamie laughed, while Sophie remained calm, eyebrow raised casually at the distasteful teasing being shot her way. "Really, I thought _the _spirit of mischief would be more clever with his words," she said with a ho-hum tone and a yawn. She smiled and licked her finger and stroking a one in the air to signal that she had just earned a point on some secret score board.

"She really is something," Jack commented as he nestled closer to Jamie who only received him gladly.

Off ahead, Sophie trotted, following the cheers and the beats of the drums down the side street. It was such sweet music that came drifting down the tight alleys; there was a light that they followed it.

It was a magnificent display. Jamie emerged from the alley, blinking with a look of astonishment and delight. He was too busy taking in the sights before him to notice anything else.

He could hear Sophie laugh and clap, and Jack left his seat, but Jamie didn't care.

Everywhere elves and furry men danced and pranced. They jeered and sang, and played on instruments that were foreign to Jamie's knowledge. They stamped their feet and marched with all sorts of bits and bobs twisted and wrapped around them. Each instrument had a shiny horn. Some horns even needed two to play. They were big and made the most wonderful noise that Jamie had ever heard.

A child's wonder filled his eyes and he could hear himself laughing and yelling. "Hooray!"

It was the most beautiful music and the marchers and acrobats, though big and furry, were graceful with their dances. Up, up, up, into the air, then back down again. Jump. Spin. Summersaults. Cart wheels. It looks like so much fun. Jamie wished he could do moves like that.

The deer upon which the two children sat grew restless. Their mighty hearts hammered in their frozen chests and they shook their heads. They were so excited that it seemed the could barely contain it.

The reindeer from Santa's sled jumped down the street. Jamie could see them in the distance. The cantered closer, jumping and prancing down the street, lifting themselves up into the air to hoover briefly, then back down onto the snowy cobblestoned street. Each of the eight deer had their reins and bells on, and oh the sounds the bells made. So beautiful. They bucked and sent a wave of a rippling bell's song down to the ears of the bystanders.

The snowy deer burst with joy, dissipating into nothing but clouds of snowy mist that danced off with the wind to swirl around the deer in the street. Jamie and Sophie dropped, landing onto Jack who was prepared to catch them.

Aw struck the siblings as they watched the wisps of snow float up to meet the real deer. It seemed that the snow carried the deer away; they frolicked and lifted into the sky and down the street on their march forward through the city.

Jack smiled proudly and crossed his arms around his chest.

And Jamie thought his small town festival was good. It was simply nothing compared to the displays of jubilant joy down the main street of the North Pole.

There were treats from all around the world. Chinese moon cakes, Holland truffles, German chocolate. There were things that smelled funny, but tasted wonderful; and things that smelt lovely, but tasted odd.

"Yeti food," Jack would simply say with a wink after his well played pranks.

Sophie and Jamie ate to their heart's content and bought some treats for their friends. Stuffed and fluffed full of candies and small toys, jamie sauntered down the side walked after the festivities had quieted just a little—at least the marching had stopped. Sophie had lost herself somewhere, but he didn't worry. This was perhaps the safest place for anyone. He was on a mission to find Jack.

He passed some yetis who were busy entertaining themselves by tossing an elf through the air, as though he were a football!. He didn't seem to mind, though; he was reading a paper and drinking some cocoa. Well, of course he was content. With each toss, his drink would follow through the air and land in his cup without losing a single drop.

Jamie soon found Jack. He smiled, but kept himself calm for fear of being overly clingy, or something.

"Enjoying yourself?" Jack asked as he stuffed something into his pocket and floated up into the air.

"It's like you took me from reality and dropped me straight into the most stereotypical christmas movie," Jamie laughed.

"Stereotypical?" Jack repeated, mouth agape and eyes wide. "Don't let the yetis hear you say that. Stereotypical is like saying it's cliche. How can you say that? What with all of this magic?" he said as with a mocked offended tone. He pulled on of the growing treat trees and tickled a sugar plum. It laughed and dropped into his hand.

Jack approached Jamie and brought the sugar coated treat to his lips. Jamie opened his mouth and allowed the other to drop it in. "The treats here laugh Jamie. They _want _to be eaten. I'd say that's pretty unique."

Jamie chewed thoughtfully and nodded. Jack was right. He was thankful that he had been brought there. It was the prefect Christmas and it wasn't even Christmas yet. "I guess I'm just trying to sound cooler than I feel on the inside, because right now, I'm like a little kid," he said candidly.

Jack's laughter was so crisp. His slender shoulders shook and he climbed up onto the pole. "You're really cute, you know that?"

"Cute?" Jamie repeated. He stepped closer and touched his fingers to the branches of the treat tree. "Just cute? Or do you mean to say handsome? Attractive? Is this an endearing 'cute', or a complement one might receive from a boyfriend?" Jamie asked, wanting to clarify of course.

There was a moment of silence between the two boys. Jack crawled closer and swung lazily on the pool. "All of those."

There was a brief moment where Jamie was allowed to kiss Jack again. He had found himself craving those lips since last they met and was looking for a chance to steal one since he first saw him earlier on that evening. It was Jack, though, that stole the kiss. So swift, it was like the wind from a hummingbird's wings against his lips. Jamie's face light and he almost melted in his boots.

He loved that kiss.

There was a cough behind them and both boys turned. Sophie was standing beside a very familiar figure. Who could mistake him? What with that large red coat, and that long white beard: Nicholas St. North.

Jamie jumped forward and hugged him, not caring if he looked like a five-year-old in that moment. Who could deny that innocence when Santa was around? "You are very lucky boy to be here on such night," North said as he laughed. It wasn't a laugh like ho ho ho, but hearty laugh that vibrated in his belly; Jamie could feel it as he hugged him.

"What is it that you are doing? Jack is not tricking you I hope," he said as he clasped a large arm around Jamie's shoulders. "You have to watch out for young trickster; he is as mischievous as he is cute. I know," he said as Jack floated around their heads. "You can never trust skinny twig who floats on nothing. You never know what might happen. One minute he could be giving the sweet moments, then the next you have mouth full of snow," There was another jolly laugh that everyone joined on, even Jack who could take a joke and a jest as easy as if they were complements.

"It's true. I'm out of the closet. I was trying to freeze Jamie's tongue. Ya' caught me."

"Tricky, skinny twig!" North chanted as he pulled on Jack's leg and brought him back down to the ground. "You must come to workshop. I show you around!" he said as he pushed Jack forward with more strength than he intended. He leaned down and hoisted Sophie up on his shoulders, laughing and walking.

Jamie watched as North strolled forward. He had his own personal paparazzi of elves that followed him, some with plates of cookies, some with mugs of cocoa, some just followed with a look of love on their face. Was it North or Sophie that they fancied? Jamie couldn't tell. He was happy to follow along up the winding road to the biggest building of them all.


	7. Chapter 7

_From the author to you fabulous reader, _

_I have wonderful news. Well I guess wonderful for me. Whether you think it's wonderful or not, is up to your judgement. I've started a nice, shiny, new tumblr for all of my writing. It'll be a place for a little more than just fanfictions—since this place doesn't really allow anything else beyond that. I'll post stories of my very own, random blogs on whatever I feel, as well as other things. (I have a unique idea up my sleeve, but that's still in the works) So if your interested in me and what else I have to offer, feel free to swing by at aaronsdream. I love taking challenges and prompts, because I'm under this illusion that if I force myself to write things that other people request, then my writing will get better. So if you have requests, bring it, fabulous readers! _

_In other news, I've started up a 30 day OTP challenge if you haven't seen it yet. It was a tumblr thread-challenge-thingy that I wanted to try. Each day comes with a theme that I must fulfill in my writing, so I'll be compiling a bunch of one shots dealing with Jack and Jamie. Its title is 30 Days—real original, I know—if you want to check it out. _

_It's new years eve. Wow I can't believe it. Bringing in 2013 with a writing bang. I'm dedicating my whole day today to writing, writing, oh, and more writing. _

_I hope your night is wonderful, and glamorous, and filled with glitter._

_Happy New Years, my fabulous readers! _

**-I feel that disclaimer comin' on and I can't help but shout at the top of my lungs: Oh we're gonna have a fuckin' glittertastic night!- **

If the smell outside was peppermint and hot chocolate, then the smell inside was gingerbread and eggnog. Always something different for variety's sake. It was a shame that Jamie was so full.

North trotted along, leaving a trail of elves in his wake. They were really very dull creatures. They walked around without direction, only following North like he was some kind of god.

"Too much inbreeding. Wasn't enough of them in the beginning to keep their species going," Jack said as he floated over to Jamie. He was really very well learned about the other realms and the creatures within them. He often poked in on the other guardians and knew more about their worlds than they even did.

Jamie frowned. He felt sorry for them.

"Oh don't make face like that. They're happy elves. Back in day, they were too addicted to sugar. Trust me, this is improvement," North said as he plucked one up form the floor by the bell of his hat and sat him down. "Happy elf," he repeated and the elf seemed all a twitter with joy that North had chosen him to talk to.

The work shop was alive with the sounds of production. There were toys of all shapes and sizes. Old ones; new ones. Wooden trains, and electric cars lined the conveyer belts. Little robots, and tiny puzzle sets.

Santa's workshop was like a well oiled machine. It continued working whilst everyone else was away at the festivities.

"All ready for Christmas?" Sophie asked from atop of North's shoulders.

"Yes. I think."

"You think?" she questioned as she pulled his hat off and put it on her own head. She looked funny wearing such a large hat. Jamie couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculous sight. She looked like a blond elf with a hat so big. Jamie tried to imagine her with that same dull look in her eye, but he couldn't quite picture it.

"It is all very touchy. You never know when something might break. We are ready now, but everything might go kaput before tomorrow. Do not worry, though. Yetis are very good with chaos. They have to live with elves!"

North led them further, pointing out things that they might have wanted to know about.

"See that there? That's the old horn of Christmas Eve, given to me by the woodland faeries," he said as he pointed to an old gnarled, root carved into the shape of a cornucopia. "And that," he pointed off to a very old machine with all sorts of nobs and buttons, "is magic dust miner. It harvests the magic from the moon beams sent from Tsar Luna's light city." As he said this, he rose his hand to the enormous domed ceiling that displayed the moon's face, and all three guests looked up in astonishment. The ceiling of Norths workshop was like a mural, painted specially for him. It showed both the night and day time sky, half and half, with just a splash of colors from the auras in the middle.

There were machines that hung from the ceiling. Machines that spun around with old gyroscopes that calculated the speed of the world as it turned; little roosters that crowed the weather and the wind.

And down out of little holes in the wall, came train tracks that carried trains all through the massive building. Some carried letters, other carried plats of crackers and cups of tea.

North went through some wooden doors and showed them his own work place. Santa did the most important work of all. He wasn't just some figure head, but a vital cog to that well oiled machine. He kept the magic in the shop, bowls of white looking sand from that old dust miner sat about on his desk with a magnifying glass and tweezers—he had to see if the dust was pure, you see; and once deemed pure, he would pour it into a large metal container. There were tons of them lining the walls of his room! So much work; how did he find the time?

He also made designs for new toys each year, not toys that were manufactured to be distributed in bulk, but toys that were hand crafted with tender care; toys that were special for the few children who needed them most. Like children with a terrible cold on Christmas, they got a special toy. North even saw to it that children that were no longer within the realm of the living got a special treat. Even spirits deserve a little bit of Christmas. Their lives can be very cold and spooky. With some holiday cheer, they could perk up and continue about their ghostly business.

North dug through his draws and pulled out little bits of his inventions, showing them what he had been working on in that year.

There were string puppets that could sing their ABC's, ballerinas that could balance on their toes and spin on until forever, marching soldiers with pop guns and whistles. Each toy had a smidgen of magic dust and they glittered softly in the gentle light of the North's room.

North handed a doll to Sophie and set her down, she quickly busied herself with it, sitting on the floor immediately and twirling the doll. Jamie scrambled forward, reaching for a marching solider and sat next to his sister. They laughed and played like little children. After all, the North Pole was like a threshold into the very innocence that was inside every man and woman. They had no need to pretend to be something they weren't. Even the oldest grandpa would spring for joy and hop around like a five-year-old at the very opportunity to play with Santa's toys.

North took one of his wooden planes—a favorite gift of his since he was small—and played along, leaving Jack to form figures out of ice and snow to dance and march along. They laughed and sang songs until pops of fireworks sounded outside.

"Well look at the time. It is Christmas Eve already! Where does time go when you're having fun with friends, yeah?" North said as he stood up with a grunt.

From the window of North's workshop, Sophie, Jack, and Jamie could see wondrous displays of blues, reds, and greens explode against the starry sky. They ooed and awed, dazzled and entranced by the magic of their night. Until North's words sunk in, of course. Jamie jolted forward and hoped up onto his feet. "MOM! It's midnight! We have to get back home!" He shouted.

Jack rolled onto his side lazily. "Don't worry; your mom wont know," was all he said.

Jamie was about to question what made him so sure when North's loud voice thundered from behind. "Not to fear. You take snow globe and smash it onto ground. Think of where you want to go and it take you there. Easy," he said.

"Oh, so they're your snow globes that Jack was using," Sophie chimed as she sat forward.

"Jack has snow globe?" North asked as he frowned at his fellow comrade.

"Ah-ha know it really is late. Maybe we should get back," Jack said.

"Yes. Maybe is good idea," North said. "You have happy Christmas and look under tree for special gift from me this year," he said as he hugged both Jamie and Sophie. He whispered into the globe and smashed it down onto the ground, causing it to erupt into another portal.

Just then, there was rather bone shattering explosion outside an a few high pitched screams from the elves. The company looked out the window to discover a box of fireworks being set off and elves frantically running about with fire torches in their hands.

"Of all the-Who put elves in charge of fireworks? See? Something can turn wrong in the wink of an eye," he said as he turned to the children and put his large hands on their shoulders. "You must get home, and I have elf mess to clean up," he said. His eye twinkled and then he was gone just like that, leaving nothing but the sent of wood and magic dust.

They stared for a few seconds before standing. "Come on Sophie. Regardless if Mom knows or doesn't know, we should still get home. North is going to be busy I think,"

"Ha. Maybe just a little busy," she giggled as she set the doll back on North's desk. They gripped hands and hopped through the portal, this time not as afraid as before. In a blink of an eye and a snap of a finger, they appeared on their street. The street was always as it had been. No giant poinsettias, no treat trees. It seemed a little plain. What with all of the wonders that they had just seen of course it would seem a little plain. Jack floated behind them, holding his wooden staff, as the two walked towards their home.

They wanted to trust Jack and believe that their mother wasn't up waiting for them on the sofa, but they didn't want to fill their heads with disillusions. They began to tip-toe as they neared their front door, Sophie brining out her keys and holding them still so they wouldn't shatter the silence of the night. The lights were off, and the house was still. She opened the door and peered inside. Silence and darkness.

"It's so late. Why isn't she up?" she asked as she turned to Jack. "What did you do?"

Jack shrugged, and looked around through the opened door. "Looks like they had a fire started. It's dying now, and those lights on the tree are so pretty. Oh and I might have sent the nicest snow shower here before we left. I imagine your mom and dad had a nice time while you two were out," he said with a grin to big for his face.

"Ew. I'm going to pretend you didn't say that," Sophie said as she scrunched her nose and shuttered. "I'm going to go upstairs and wash _that _image out of my head," she said as she turned on her heal and receded up the dark staircase.

"You can't ignore it; it's this thing called love, and when people are in love they do lovely things!" Jack whispered up after her.

"Shut up, Jack!" she whispered back down.

Jack gripped his stomach and snickered a quiet laugh, but Jamie was a bit preoccupied by other thoughts; one word in particular, actually: love. "Lovely things, huh?" he repeated.

Jack shrugged. "I imagine so. I imagine they're the best things," he said.

"Things like kisses?"

"Yeah I suspect there are lots of kisses."

"Things like gentle embraces, and cold nights spent in each other's arms?"

"Sounds like lovely things to me."

There was a pause as Jamie gripped the door, knuckles turning white from the pressure. Jack looked as though he had a thought on his mind. He stared at Jamie so intently. "I want to experience those things with you, Jack," Jamie said before the other could open his mouth. Jamie felt so stupid that he had blurted something out like that, but there was no sense in taking his words back. It wasn't like he could just inhale and then his words be gone.

"I think that's the best idea of all."

Jamie was so shocked; he almost fell off of his feet. It was hard not to dance and spin around like a love sick puppy. He had to remain composed. He coughed for the sake of having something to do. His head was spinning and his heart was pounding; he looked up to Jack. "Do you want to come in?" he asked. "You don't have to stand out there."

Glad for the invite, Jack stepped inside, setting his staff by the door. He had never seen the rest of Jamie's house before, only his room. Jamie realized this and showed him around. Off to the right was the kitchen, and up the stairs were the rooms. And down the hall was the study and the bathroom; and to the left of the entry way, was the family room.

Jack followed Jamie, both speaking quietly to each other so as to not disturb anyone else in the house. They ended up on the couch before the Christmas tree which was still on and shining softly by the front window. Jamie sat away from Jack at a respectable distance. "I had so much fun tonight. You always know the best things to show me. I'm sure Sophie enjoyed it too," he said.

"I'm glad. Consider it my Christmas gift to you," he said. "Merry Christmas, Jamie."

Jamie's heart leapt; he was leaning forward without realizing it. His heart was in his throat, but he found that Jack was leaning forward too. Their foreheads touched just for a moment before their lips came together.

It seemed that each kiss was different and unique in its own way. Jack had gotten used to how their mouths moved as he deepened the kiss, flicking his cool tongue across Jamie's lips and sliding it along inside of his mouth. Jamie shuttered. There was so much to register, but his brain moved sluggishly in that moment. He was so curious and his hands couldn't help themselves. He reached out and grasped at the spirit before him, placing his hands on his hips and brushing his fingers across the fabric of his sweatshirt. They continued on like that, there on the couch, kissing and holding each other close. Jack's hands pressed on the tops of Jamie's thighs while Jamie's hands slipped below the hem of his shirt to touch along his chilled skin.

It was like electricity against Jamie's fingers; he loved he feel of such cool flesh. He wanted to press up against it, wanted to feel it against his lips and cheek. He hummed and Jack smiled as he gripped him below the thighs and pulled him into his lap. They broke their kiss to breath; Jamie was lightheaded he brought his fingers up from Jack's waist and pulled them through Jack's hair, smiling as it brushed against his chin.

There was a cough and both boys flinched. Jack was very hard to sneak up, but when he was distracted with Jamie in his lap, well, then anything could sneak up on him. He was so startled that he gripped tight onto Jamie and rose in the air. Jamie whirled around, looking for the source of the noise. It didn't come from upstairs, but from the fireplace. He peered into the darkness, squinting and trying to see.

There by the dimming light of the fireplace, stood an elf. Jamie didn't know how long he had been standing there. He cleared his throat and held up a slip of paper with glittery, silver writing.

"What are you doing here?!" Jack hissed as he lowered back down and set Jamie back on the couch.

"North requests your presses at the North Pole. Immediately," the little elf squeaked.

"Jack, did you take anything of North's? Like more snow globes?" Jamie asked as he watched.

Jack turned. "No!..."He turned away and muttered something. "Yes," he said as his shoulders sagged.

The elf wiggled his nose and the fire crackled to life, glowing bright with green and red.

"Jaack," Jamie whined. To think they could have had a lovely night doing those lovely things they had spoken about. "You better go and return them," he said as he crossed his arms, his heart aching just a little for the fact that Jack would have to leave.

The elf turned and hopped into the fire, and there was a moment were Jack turned and looked back at him with an expression of frustration. "I'm sorry," he murmured as he stepped backwards into the fire and disappeared with a pop and a crackle.


	8. Chapter 8

_From the author to you fabulous reader, _

_Ahahaha. Hello. Um, not sure if you remember me. I'm Aaron, hello all. I'm back from whatever death I had. Writer's slump, I guess. This chapter was supposed to be serious and address lots of serious issues, but then it turned into the most retarded thing I ever tried to crap out. I fixed it though, or at least I hope I did. This is my explanation for the tardiness on this one._

_School has started, dear fabulous readers, and that means my life will be consumed by highly volatile professors and voluminous amounts of theoretical texts, starting with mother fuckin' Freud. Oh. Boy. Am I an excited panda. So my pace at writing stories will be crippled, but fear not, I cary around my handy-dandy-notebook everywhere, so whenever I have some free minutes, I can write at least a little bit. If you have asked for a story from me, please know that I am currently developing plots and sending them through the beginning stages of birth. _

_Thank you for your patients, fabulous readers. I look forward to the future projects in this up coming year and look forward to your reactions to other things I have to offer. _

**-There once was a disclaimer who had no friends because he was a disclaimer-**

He waited in the middle of the open workshop, having been brought to the center of the frozen world and left to wait for whatever it was North thought was so important. "Jack-" Before the voice could finish, though, Jack was pulling a snow globe from his pocket and holding it out in a show of good manners, or at least as good of manners as a god of mischief could display.

"Look, I'm sorry, but when your snow globes are just laying out-" he stopped short upon seeing a pair of long ears.

"Mate..."

Jack's eyes narrowed. Why was Bunny there? He shoved his hands back into his pockets, putting the snow globe back inside, realizing that this wasn't about his sticky fingers.

Bunny crossed his arms about his chest, stern as always. His nose twitched and his ears zeroed in on the sound of Jack's sigh.

"What are you doing here?"

"Guardian business, mate."

Sandy, ever quite, stepped out from behind Bunny's leg. He looked guilty and stood with no clusters of gold above his head to explain his thoughts. It wasn't his silence that was disturbing, but the lack of sound as sand shifted and formed to his thoughts and reactions.

The three stood awkwardly, or at least Jack did; Bunny was simply content with looking menacing and mean. The large rabbit tapped his foot, sending hallow thumps vibrating through the floors, while Sandy danced his fingers along the waves of sand that drifted around his body; they stood like children waiting for their mother in the grocery story, silent, still. Occasionally, the other guardians would glance at Jack, but advert their eyes quickly lest they should linger on him judgingly.

There was a breeze, the refreshing scent of waterfalls and clouds as Toothina fluttered through the open window, eyes wide. "I just got the message. I'm I-uh" she stopped short, seeing Jack and fluttered down to the ground. She pulled her shimmering, iridescent tail out and fiddled with the feathers between her small fingers.

The odd behavior and stares that Jack was beginning to annoy him. If they had something to say, it would be more simple to just say it. He raised an eyebrow. "What message? Because I was just sort of pushed into the fire by some pint-sized elf." He was suddenly reminded of the first time he had been brought to North's shop. Then, all of the attention had been focused on him; now it was no different.

"Message about certain guardian and his child," came North's loud voice. It was different, now, than it had been in the dawn of the night, thunderous and jolting enough to demand attention by the sheer volume and bone rattling robust vibrato. He stepped out of his room where Jack and been earlier on that night, playing carelessly with North like old childhood friends, thought that relationship seemed long forgotten now. He emerged like a strict teacher, a stern parent, a tedious warden, arms cross and face gruff with his eyebrows stitched in a very impressive scowl. He looked to Jack, the others following his lead and turning to watch Jack.

"I'll just assume you're talking about me since you're all starring at me. What about me and my children? Which child? I bring joy to a lot of them. You're going to have to give me more specifics."

North held his hand up for silence. "I have been watching. Your actions with Jamie are beyond inappropriate."

"My actions?" Jack could feel something inside of him boil over, like a solid cube of dry ice when tossed in a vat of water. His cheeks flashed purple and he rose, toes curling and fingers clenching.

"Just what exactly have you seen?" The group stood around in a dead silence, all looking to North for the answer. It was clear that not even they fully understand the severity of the addressed situation.

"I have seen enough. You were just with him moment ago. I am Nicholas North, Jack Frost. I see all: naughty, or nice."

Jack curled his legs under himself. He was beyond mad. A comrade, a friend, had spied into his personal life and was now dragging it out before everyone to be discussed and looked down on.

"Mate?" Bunny hopped forward, ears twitching and nose sniffing in the air. He could smell the candied aroma of Jamie's house, and he could probably smell the sent of the boy on him. "Are you romantically involved with Jamie?"

Jack snapped. "What if I am?" He was being childish really, but he didn't care.  
"That's bad news. You can't just go off making sweet with on of your children. Think of what your relationship does."

"Bunny's right. You're a guardian. Jamie needs a real person to love," Tooth interjected rather meekly, wings fluttering like a soft heart beat.

"So I'm not real now?" Jack asked.

"You're a spirit," Tooth corrected.

"That's all fine and dandy, but I don't go barging into your personal lives and tell you what you can and can't do."

"Jack, you are not thinking clearly. Try to picture it without bothersome love for moment."

Jack was beyond mad. His cheeks stung and his ears flashed a hot red color; he rarely ever got so mad. Clouds loomed over the workshop outside, swirling and casting off showers of ice shards and frost in a dangerous display of white and grey. "No, I can picture my life without love. I've lived for 300 hundred years without it, and I don't care to go back to that emptiness."

"That's jut it. 300 years. You're immortal and Jamie isn't," Bunny interjected. He held his hands out to show that he meant no offense, though his face and eyes displayed an aura of annoyance. So likely that Bunny would be the one to not fully understand; Jack wondered if Bunny was even capable of any emotion similar to love. They glared and stared at each others, Tooth's voice once again shifting in like a soft hand across the cheek, gentle and soothing.

"We say things like this for Jamie's well being as wells as yours too. You love Jamie and we all know that now, but Jamie will continue to grow older. He'll want a family. He'll die and you'll still be the same. We've all been through this pain, Jack. It's life and and we have to accept that. There is death all around though we cannot experience it. Don't punish yourself like that." There were tears in Tooth's eyes now and seeing that brief moment of understanding sadness gave Jack enough sense to settle and unclenched his fists.

He didn't want to hear the right thing; he understood what they were saying was right, but he didn't want to believe it, regardless of how real it was, like the eternal existence of the sun after it sinks low behind the horizon, unseen, but very, very real. Jamie had become the sun in his life and now it would be the sad time for him to accept it as it set, disappearing into the black void beyond the stars.

He wanted to think clearly, but all he could think, all he could see, was Jamie and his smile. His heart wrenched and he lashed out. In that moment, he wished that Jamie had never spied him. He didn't deserve his belief, or support. He wished that their eyes had never met and that he didn't see that spark of magic in the dark disk of Jamie's eye.

He hadn't thought about any consequences. It was just Jamie. He floated back down to the ground landing and wiggling his toes on the cold mosaic floor.

"So what then? Just say never mind. Just kidding, Jamie?"

"We know t's difficult, but it'll be the best for the both of you," Tooth remarked with a soft smile. Jack glared though he knew it wasn't her fault.

He was upset, frustrated. The rest of the guardians closed in on him, crowding around with sorrowful eyes, but Jack wanted nothing to do with them. He backed away, turning on his heel and waving over his shoulder. They would not peruse him, he knew that. North had invaded in on him enough for one night.

It was understandable that he would want to slip away into the solitude of the frosted evening, and none of the guardians made any fuss or show to follow him. At least they had that respect.

He fumbled with the globe in his front pocket, running cool fingers over the glassy surface. It had grown so cold being inside of his frosted shirt, like a smooth stone a frozen lake's edge. Jack pulled the glittering orb out and twisted it in his hand, rotating it before bringing it to his lips and kissing it, whispering a small secret of his home into it before smashing it down at the base of his feet; he turned and looked at the solemn faces of his comrades. He stepped into the portal and fell backwards into the air where he had asked the globe to take him: his home, the frozen pond in the clearing of the trees, the place where he had died, the place where he was born.

He dashed around, frosting everything he could see, the trees, the shrubs, the pond. The trees moaned and ached from the sudden rush of cold, but they stilled and quieted after a few moments, frozen in place, laminated by the blankets of frost and snow that Jack had brought his his anger, white and terrifying, like marble pillars, cold and dead. Everywhere around was coated in snow and frost; he stood, staff in hand now, with a scowl on his face and a vat of cold liquid in his heart.

Jamie would grow older, and he would stay the same. He was being stupid. He knew in the back of his mind that that would happen. What did he expect? There relationship would grow and develop, and Jack would simply be left alone in the cold and dark once Jamie reached the threshold of adulthood that Jack never saw. He flew up to a tree and nestled down onto a branch, curling into a ball and staring up into the moon's face.

This was his home, and the best place to speak to the moon. Many times he had returned to this place and chatted privately with the face of white in the black sky, asking him questions and receiving no answers. The moon had only spoken to him once after his first aching breath. "Live." And Jack did. He had lived enough for all the children that couldn't, he had lived generations of lives, seen children grow, marry, have children of their own; and in return see those children grow, marry, and bring life of their own into this ever turning world. Jack was fixed in one spot in time, stuck in his adolescent body, not a boy, not a man.

He traced the rippling waves of bark beneath his feet with his toe, figuring it would do no good to speak to the moon. The moon would surly agree with the others. It would be painful to eventually watch Jamie slip away from his reach in childhood, and he was unsure if he had the courage to see the other grow older and fade away into the eroding effects of time.

He sat for a long while in silence, listening to nothing but the sound of the Earth as it moved, breathed, grew.

He was a pitiful sight, a shell of a boy left in the tree, curled, face buried in his knees.

He had been so absorbed in self pity that did not see the eruption of gold, shimmering light as it cast a soft glow on the abused trees. The light flickered and snaked, swirling around the trunks and leaves, making no noise but the gentle sound of shifting sand.

It was this noise that caught Jack's attention, he lifted his face from his knees and looked around as the gold brightened his solemn, white world. He squinted and watched as Sandy slid down the sand like a long slide from the starry heavens. The golden dunes of sand caught him and formed into a little cloud upon which he sat, floating closer to Jack who merely blinked.

Jack would have turned him away and asked that he leave had it not been for the bright smile in corner of his golden brown eye. The sand above his head quickly shifted into a small figure of a boy who ran and jumped and played. Jamie.

He watched as Jamie danced and laughed silently, leaping, falling, climbing until he came across another figure, an older boy with an oaken staff. Jamie leapt and embarrassed the older boy and the shape of his young figure changed and grew until he was the same size as the other. They still hugged, holding onto each other until the boy with the oaken staff pulled away and Jamie grew and grew. All the while as Jamie grew, the other boy floated around his head, pointing, showing, laughing, kissing, comforting.

Other figures came in and out of Jamie's life, some making him happy, others making him sad, but the other floating boy with the staff stayed near and never left. If Jamie fell, the other boy would catch him. If Jamie flew and the other boy would take him higher. Jamie hunched, old and withered, and waddled forward, receding into a hospital bed with the other boy standing beside him amongst the other faces of Jamie's friends and family.

"Okay I get it. I need to stay by his side because I'm his guardian," Jack snorted.

Sandy shook his head and the figures of people disappeared into yellow dust. Sandy spoke again, the sand morphing above his messy hair. The other boy stood beside Jamie's figure again, this time with a graduate hat and a teacher's stick. The boy showed Jamie and taught him, they stood close and Jamie pointed to groups of sand around them that had shaped into the forms of couples, boys and girls hugging and kissing.

The boy showed him, held him close and kissed him sweetly before he let go and brought Jamie's hand into another girl's hand.

"I'm supposed to teach Jamie?"

The clouds of sand dissipated into the air once more and Sandy nodded, gesturing with his hands to show that there was still more to take from what he had just showed Jack. "I'm supposed to teach Jamie about love, be there for him and help him?"

Sandy nodded again.

"Yeah, but I don't remember anything about love, or relationships. Jamie would be better off-"

The shifting sound of sand stopped Jack as Sandy plucked a golden strand of gold from the air, it went off through the trees somewhere where Jack couldn't see. There was Jamie's voice and two figures hugged and held onto each other, whispering soft words to each other as their bodies twisted and tangled together. Jack's cheek's flashed hot; he was staring at Jamie's dream again, that strand that Sandy held between his fingers lead to Jamie's house and was what brought him ideas of love and romance with Jack on a strand of dreams.

"It's okay to be with him, because I'm supposed to teach him?"

Sandy remained as silent as ever, but his face spoke a thousand words with one simple smile.

Jack nodded as he leaned forward and ran his hand through the sand that showed Jamie's dream, waving it away. "You gotta quit showing me his dreams, Sandy; he deserves a little privacy regardless if they have to do with me or not.

Sandy shrugged the strand of sand vanished. He was helpful and Jack was glad that he had come to him. He was so easily forgotten because he never spoke, but it seemed that what he had to say was always the most important.

"What about North and everyone else? I suspect old fuddy-cookie-muncher will still spy and try to get me in trouble."

Sandy shook his head and pointed up to the moon; Jack's eyes followed and he stared at the white, ambient light for a few seconds. "The Man in the Moon says so?"

Jack looked down for a conformation to his question, but found nothing except for empty air and a few dust specks left from Sandy's dreams. Jack leaned back on his tree branch and rested his head, thinking about the information he had just been told before he closed his eyes and drifted off into a sound sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

_From the author to you fabulous reader, _

_What's that? A chapter update? No, it simply cannot be. What the crap, man? I know, beat me up, call me awful things; school sucks, bros. I'm working two jobs and attempting full time in college credits. So that's my excuse. I wanted to do so much more with this story, but I fear I don't have enough time and I do have other stories that I need to keep up with. _

_This will be the last chapter, guys; hopefully it's everything you've wanted it to be. If you've wanted more out of this, don't panic, take a few moments to breath. I will most likely pick this up again and continue on in a sequel when I have more time on my hands. I have plans, but this story has just been too light hearted for any of my plans. _

_Also, fabulous reader Linables has shown me her animation of Jamie's dream from the first chapter. Seriously, it's the most beautiful thing I've seen. If you'd like to check it out, I've posted it on my tumblr, aaronsdream, and also the link for it will be posted in my bio. Go see it and tell her she's awesome because she so totally is. _

_Thank you so much for your support and wonderful comments. I do apologize that I haven't had time to sit down and respond to each and everyone of you who have reviewed me towards the end here, but I do want to let you know that I have read them all and they always bring a smile to my face. You are the best readers a guy could ask for and I hope this chapter will be sufficient enough for you all._

_Hugs and kisses to all of you. Thank you for embarking on this experimental journey with me._

_-Aaron _

**-I do not own this; I never have, I never will, but that doesn't mean that I cannot take it and elaborate on it and make something of it my own down deep in my heart and in yours too- **

It was decided then; he would go on with Jamie, for as long as he was needed. If Jamie grew apart from him, well, he would simply have to cross that bridge when he got there. There was still so many questions that nagged at the back of Jack's mind. They itched like something unpleasant, like cotton ball weeds blowing against the skin. He scratched his head and rolled on the wind, lazily casting a grey clouds and looming, dark weather around the land that needed snow and winter.

He had only seen Jamie no less than a week ago, but it felt like an eternity, and that was a terrible thing for a never-dying spirit to feel. He sighed and the wind gust along the land, licking at the laminated plains, covered in snow, a frozen tundra, dry and barren of life. It was the way of life, he brought the death to the world over and over again. It had never been boring to him before, but with the promise a warming face and a bright smile, his job seemed perhaps just a bit dull.

He would go see Jamie. That was that, it was hard enough staying away for so long, it was the weekend and Jamie would have some time off from school. Jack new this and he would take ample advantage of it. Would it be a date? Were they even officially dating? What made them official? The prospect of relationships seemed so strange to him, so distant, and he had to admit that he didn't know the first thing about what to do. He would just go to Jamie as himself and see where things went. That would be simple enough.

Jack turned on his lazy way and set off to Jamie's direction, set on seeing him. He had a smile on his face and a skipping beat in his heart. Perhaps he would take him out to see something wonderful. A ballet in Paris; the lights in Tokyo. The world was their limit and it would be all too easy to just let the wind take them off into wonderland.

Jack chased the rays of light as they set, following his path until Jamie's house peered out of a fresh blanket of snow just beyond the pastures and farmlands, beyond the trees and that frozen pond that Jack held so dear. He shuttered to think of the smile that awaited him as his nimble fingers rapped on the old glass of Jamie's window. He peered inside the warm room and breathed a puff of cool frost against the pane, freezing it. It cracked and protested against the sudden rush of cold, but quieted as Jamie rose his head and looked to Jack.

His heart was a flutter as the boy ran quickly to his window and opened it up, letting out the cool rush of heat and scent of Jamie's house; his mother's baking and perhaps a scented candle or two. He leaned his arm on the cill. "Well hello there," he said as he chuckled. "Been busy?"

Jack nodded, brining a hand up to the back of his head. "Sorry," he said as he floated back on his side, crossing his legs. "Who else is going to bring the snow and all around miserable times? Now that Christmas has ended, people are back to griping about the snow, but I still have to do my job."

Jamie laughed; he hummed and rested his chin on his open palm. "I'm glad you took time out of your busy schedule to come visit me then."

There was a brief moment of silence except for the caws of crows. The wind licked at his toes and startled him, causing him to drift forward and sneak a kiss from Jamie's rested lips. "Am I still allowed to do that?" he asked, not sure what the status of their relationship was.

Jamie hummed and licked at Jack's nose, casing it to sting with the heat of a living body. The tables had turned and Jack couldn't help but laugh at the irony of it. He shifted back and wiped his damp nose.

"You can do that and so much more, Jack," Jamie said. Clearly a certain bold sister had been talking to him about his confidence with Jack. He shuttered to think of all the doors that one sentence opened and he shifted a way a little further.

"Do you want to come inside?" Jamie asked as he leaned up and stood, allowing Jack passage into his house.

He saw him in that moment, captivated by the look of beauty on his face; there was something there that he wasn't fully able to grasp. Jamie had grown; he had matured; and in his maturity, he had begun to desire something that Jack feared he could never give, never teach. He swallowed and shifted closer. The wind sang and urged Jack to venture forth. He slipped inside, inside to a world he never thought he'd experience. A private setting for two people in love. He did love Jamie, held a love for him he had never felt for anyone before. Perhaps it was because Jamie had been the first to believe; perhaps it was because he had been the first to see Jack.

That wide-eyed, magical look haunted Jack and still lingered in the apples of Jamie's bright orbs.

Two curious boys, both meek and inexperience shifted closer to each other, gravitating towards the only thing that mattered in their unique, little worlds. They kissed and found themselves lost in a realm they couldn't hope to understand. Jack's body stiffened at first, but grew comfortable after only a few moments. It was like a kiss from an old friend, the wind caressing his lips. His sight slipped away to a black painting and he opened himself to the boy before him who stood on tip toes and teased with lips and tongue, opened himself to the possibilities of this new strange and wonderful relationship.

He bent and wrapped his arms around Jamie, lifting him into the air and turning them, laying him down on his bed and slipping eager hands up his shirt. He didn't now, but he would learn, feel what was right and suffer from pure instinct. The promise of pleasure was alluring, it whispered sweet nothings in his ear and clouded his mind with a dull haze. His sense went blank, white hot, and he devoured Jamie's skin, kissing at neck and chest; cheeks and and ears. Jamie received him and made no noise, no complaint, no hesitation. His legs fell open and Jack found himself sliding between them, pressing down with nothing but exciting curiosity and the promise of fulfillment in maturation.

Was he really ready to make such a bold step with Jamie? Where were they headed? Neither bothered to ask, they were simply too greedy, each in his own way, Jamie eagerly lapping at the lips before him, and Jack gingerly pressing hips down, feeling another's body in such a sensitive place. "Jamie," he whispered.

There was one last flash of golden light from the dying sun before it slipped away, went to sleep, and left the two boys alone in the dawning dark to discover the pleasantries untold by any red, orange, or prefect gold light. Vibrant purples and deep blues shrouded them and incased them in a warm security as Jack pulled away, breathless.

Color was returning to his pale cheeks, a warming pink. His body was aching from the heat and his muscles twitched for more; they had been abused, ignored out in the cold and harsh winters of three hundred years.

There was an understanding in Jamie's actions as he shifted further onto the bed and sunk into the comforter and pillows, taking Jack with him into a soft, feathered world. Clumsy fingers shifted up Jack's shirt. He could feel the body below shutter at the sting of cool flesh. It wasn't often that Jack ever felt any sort of meekness, but when Jamie shivered, he shifted away. "I'm sorry," he whispered. He wasn't sure what he was apologizing for, but Jamie seemed to understand and merely responded with a warm smile and fingers that pulled up his shirt and hoodie.

"Don't be." Jack shifted out of his clothes, bending his body and twisting his arms until the bit of cloth came free, leaving him exposed to the boy beneath. He rolled his hips forward, ushering a small sound from Jamie. Such a soft, sweet sound. If Jack had to die, he would be content merely hearing that one sound come from Jamie's lips. He melted and hunched over him, kissing him further and removing whatever clothes he could grip with numb, warming fingers that felt like useless stubs. He was scared, a rare, odd emotion for him. His heart hammered in his chest as he tried to calmly explore Jamie's body.

Inch by inch; kiss by kiss.

Clumsy fingers fiddled with the buttons and zippers of Jamie's pants, pulling them down and slipping inside to brush against flesh untouched by another, so sensitive, so warm. His breath lost itself somewhere far off and his throat tightened. He wiggled further into Jamie's pants, working them off his slender frame, leaving him exposed and shivering. He was sure his body wasn't helping any, though Jamie didn't seem to mind the frost and bite that lapped at his golden skin. Jack swallowed again. Just what was he doing? He had no idea; he was driven, pressured forward into ecstasy.

Two bodies twisted and joined together, bonded in their innocence, taking it and casting it off like a old blanket from the past. Two breaths became one, lips melted, limbs knotted.

Jamie cried and Jack whispered soothing words in his ear through gritted teeth. Quiet, soft, sweet. Their bodies rocked, fingers twisted into sheets. Resistance and pain.

Jack was imperfect in his pleasures. Jamie cursed softly, pulling a pillow to his face to hide his shame and flushed, lust crazed face. Jack soothed him and rotated his hips, lifting the other's up and turning him over. And just like that, like a switch being turned on, Jamie let out a gasp and his body jolted. Jack repeated and Jamie gave the same result. Passion. Pleasure.

He rocked and bent his head downward, hips poised and back arched. They kept like that, moving against each other until they were exhausted, complete; collapsed, sweaty, sticky skin against skin. Breaths heaving fast; minds lost.

He could have never imagined something so prefect. So pure in its raw brutality. His skin was damp with a cool sweat, his breath came out in ragged breaths. Jack lay beside Jamie who had turned and cleaved to him, too lazy to mind their messy bliss. He stroked him tenderly as he told him secrets in soft pillow talk. They whispered and laughed, and Jack had thought himself to be lucky, so lucky that he had Jamie and that he could be with him. He wouldn't mind if Jamie grew older, he would always stay beside him.

In the full darkness and quite of the night, two boys fell asleep, content with whatever beautiful sin they had just committed with each other. Content in their love and consummated relationship; it was pure, desired by so many. Prefect.


End file.
